Merseyside Police have disseminated a CCTV photograph of an individual who may possess crucial information regarding a reported sexual assault in St Helens. It was alleged that a woman was sexually attacked on Ormskirk Street between 2:15 AM and 3:30 AM on Sunday, August 18.
After the incident, the perpetrator departed in the direction of Claughton Street and College Street, while the victim was left ‘traumatised’ by the occurrence. Comprehensive CCTV and witness investigations have been undertaken since then.
Detectives have released a CCTV image of a guy they believe may assist with the inquiry. Detective Inspector Jimmy Rotheram stated: “This was a grave offence in which the victim was astonished by the perpetrator’s actions.” I like to tell the public that incidences of this nature are infrequent, and we will not condone such behaviour.
“We take reports of sexual assault very seriously, and we are very keen to speak with the man featured in the images to help with our enquiries. This was a traumatic experience for the victim, and we are working hard to ensure that the person responsible is identified.
“I am appealing to the man featured in this image, or anyone who recognises him, to please contact us. We believe he could hold information that could be vital to our continuing enquiries.”
For information on this incident, contact @MerPolCC on X/Twitter or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook with reference 24000722847.
You can also call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. To report a sexual offence, call 101, where specially trained officers will speak to you. Alternatively, you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
If you’ve been affected by sexual violence of any kind, support is available through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service, delivered jointly by two registered charities.
In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside, who are available on 0151 558 1801.
In St Helens and Knowsley, this is provided by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside, who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.
For women who feel unsafe in public spaces, the Home Office has set up a pilot service called StreetSafe. Anyone can anonymously report public places where they have felt or feel unsafe.
This can be because of environmental issues, such as street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, such as being followed or verbally abused.
StreetSafe is not for reporting crime or incidents.
If something has happened to you or someone you know, including in public spaces online, you can call 101 or find out what online reporting services are available at StreetSafe via the www.police.uk website.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 111 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.