A man has been charged with sexual assault after allegedly groping a woman’s breast while she jogged through a Vancouver park.
The incident took place around 10 a.m. Tuesday as the woman ran through Trail 3 of Pacific Spirit Park, located south of the UBC and West Point Grey neighbourhoods.
Police said the victim provided an “outstanding description” of the suspect, leading to his identification and arrest shortly after she reported the alleged assault.
In a Wednesday news release, University RCMP encouraged the public to be aware of their surroundings while out and about, and consider keeping personal music at a lower volume.
“At this time investigators feel that there is no nexus between this assault and any other ongoing sexual investigations in the Lower Mainland, and this was a solitary event,” said Sgt. Chris Manseau of the Lower Mainland RCMP in the release.
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“Police are encouraging anyone who may have had any unusual encounters in the Pacific Spirit Park in recent weeks to report it to police immediately.”
On Sunday, a woman told North Vancouver RCMP that she had been groped by a man while walking through Lynn Canyon Park. She filmed the suspect with camera, but the Mounties have yet to make an arrest.
The woman, who asked not to be identified for her privacy, criticized police handling of her case. She said she was instructed to wait at the park for an officer to show up, but after an hour no one came.
When she called back, she learned no one had been assigned to her call. In an interview, she said the lack of communication is evidence of the “ineffectiveness on the part of the police in addressing a sexual assault, and prioritizing women’s safety.”
Police later apologized to her, explaining that a number of critical calls came in around the same time. The Mounties said the “long wait” she experienced was an “area of improvement” for the detachment.
Meanwhile, University RCMP is asking anyone with information on the alleged sexual assault at Pacific Spirit Park to contact them at 604-224-1322.
The Mounties are working with Metro Vancouver Parks to increase patrols, it said in the release, and encourage the public to report all incidents as soon as possible to increase the odds of locating a suspect.
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