FORT Victoria Country Park, an Isle of Wight beauty spot popular with walkers, is now the scene of a horrific crime against a young child.
A three-year-old was seriously sexually assaulted in the woods at the popular attraction, near Yarmouth.
Police have arrested a man in his 60s and are appealing for information from people who were in the area at the time.
The incident took place shortly after 3pm on Monday, August 31, in a wooded area.
A huge police investigation is now underway.
The woodland has been cordoned off and taken over by a specialise police unit, with extra officers drafted in from Hampshire.
They were there all day yesterday and guarded the cordoned-off area overnight.
Officers investigating the incident want to hear from members of the public who there on Monday, whether or not they thought they saw anything suspicious or not.
Detective Chief Inspector Liam Davies said: “This was a very serious incident and there will be an increased police presence in the area while we examine a number of lines of enquiry.
“The child, a three-year-old girl, and their family are receiving specialist support while we seek to establish the full circumstances of what happened.
“We know there were two dog walkers in the vicinity at this time – a man and a woman – who we believe may have witnessed something significant and discussed this with the child’s mother.
"It is vital that we identify them. If this is you, please contact us immediately.
“In addition, we would like to hear from anyone who used Fort Victoria Country Park either that day or previously and who may have seen someone acting suspiciously, or anything out of the ordinary which could assist our investigation.
“You may not believe that you have anything significant to tell us, but even the smallest piece of information could be vital, so please get in touch.”
A man in his 60s from the Isle of Wight has been arrested in relation to this incident and remains in custody.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting Operation July.
Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their anonymous online form at crimestoppers-uk.org
House Rules
We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article