Woman sexually assaulted in Brighton car park (From The Argus)
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Woman sexually assaulted in Brighton car park
6:00pm Sunday 17th March 2013 in News
A woman was found in a city centre car park after being sexually assaulted.
Witnesses reported the victim looking in distress in The Lanes car park in Bartholomews, Brighton, after the incident at 9.30am yesterday.
Emergency services comforted the 52-year-old as commuters and visitors entered the multi-storey to park.
Hours later, police confirmed a 47-year-old Brighton man had been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. Detectives said he remained in custody on Friday night ahead of being questioned.
One witness, who did not want to be named, said: “The woman was clearly in distress. It was not clear what had happened but she was obviously a victim of something.”
Officers from Sussex Police attended after being contacted by a member of the public. It is understood the victim was found in the entrance near the ticket machines, opposite Brighton Town Hall.
Officers comforted the woman and sealed off the entrance to the Brighton and Hove City Council-owned car park, which was recently refurbished at a cost of £1 million.
Car park users were forced to use another route out of the multi-storey as police taped off the area to search for evidence.
Forensic examination
Detective Inspector Vicki Harris, of Brighton and Hove CID, said: “The woman is receiving help and support from specially trained officers. We are in the early stages of establishing what led up to this attack.
“Forensic examinations of the area are continuing and a police cordon will remain around the scene.
“I would appeal to anyone who witnessed the attack and has not yet come forward to please do so as soon as possible.”
Police last night said the attack was not thought to be random.
DI Harris said officers were trying to establish whether the attack took place in the car park.
A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said it was “unlikely” the woman had been assaulted after leaving her car in the multi-storey, but detectives were not ruling anything out.
Call 101 with information.
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