Ipswich man arrested for attempted rape after sexual assault

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted rape in Ipswich <i>(Image: Newsquest)</i>
Police have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted rape in Ipswich (Image: Newsquest)
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A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape after a teenage girl was sexually assaulted in Ipswich last week.

The incident happened along the river path towards Tower Mill Road, off Bramford Road, at about 11.40pm on Thursday.

The victim, a girl in her late teens, was approached from behind and pulled to the ground by a man. 

A member of the public disturbed the man, causing him to run off in the direction of Sproughton Road and Riverside Road.

Police have now arrested a 24-year-old man from Ipswich on suspicion of attempted rape.

He has been taken to Martlesham police investigation centre for questioning.

Police are continuing to appeal for any drivers with dashcam footage of the London Road and Yarmouth Road junction, or along Bramford Road towards the junction with Sproughton Road, at the time of the incident to come forward.

East Anglian Daily Times: A man has been arrested on suspicion of rapeA man has been arrested on suspicion of rape (Image: Newsquest)

Officers routinely undertake patrols in the vicinity of the river path and surrounding areas, but these have been increased since the attack happened to identify offences, engage with residents and provide additional reassurance to the community.

The enhanced patrols will continue throughout evenings over the coming weeks.

The incident happened on the same evening as the Reclaim The Night protest, when more than 100 people gathered to march along Ipswich Waterfront to call for an end to violence against women and girls.

Isabelle Booth, who helped organise the protest and is also helpline and volunteer co-ordinator for Suffolk Rape Crisis, said she was "angered" to hear the sexual assault had happened at about the same time as the event.

She said earlier this week: "We have to start to connect individual incidences of sexual assault to a culture that normalises misogyny, sexism and violence, and one that often blames women for their experiences rather than focusing on the perpetrator."

Anyone with information related to the incident on the riverbank near Tower Mill Road is urged to contact Suffolk police, quoting crime reference number 77757/22.

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