Rowheath Park assault: fresh appeal in sex assault against young girl

Detectives investigating a sexual assault on a young girl in a park in Bournville have launched a fresh plea for information.

Police are trying to identify a woman who drove off with a potential suspect in a van from Rowheath Park, Bournville on September 18 last year.

Their initial investigation was launched after a report of a six-year-old girl being assaulted by a boy - thought to be in his early to mid-teens - after being lured into a wooded area.

A possible suspect was seen getting into a white van which was next to the park on Heath Road and being driven by a white woman with dark blonde hair.

The teenager - who is thought to be at least 13 to 14 years-old and also described as white and having similar dark blond hair - was then allegedly driven off.

What have police said about the incident?

Detective Inspector Neil Hunt, from the public protection unit, said: “We understand the concerns and impact this awful incident had on the Bournville community.

“We’re exactly six months on to the date and this has very much remained an ongoing investigation.

“This was clearly very distressing for the young girl and her family and we’ve spoken to them ahead of bringing memories back by issuing this fresh appeal.

“Whoever was involved has never come forward and it’s important we do all we can to try and find them as age can be no excuse.

“We’ve spent quite some time trawling CCTV, looking at forensic opportunities and speaking to people in the area.

“We appreciate the descriptions are still not the clearest but we’re very keen to speak to the woman who was parked up in a white van and appeared to collect a teenager.

“He has never been identified and we’d urge him to come and speak to us. If he wasn’t involved we can rule him out and he may have important information.

“The woman in the van may be completely unaware of what happened in the park a short time beforehand and again we’d ask her to talk to us.”

The force said that there have been no further reports of children being approached in the park since 18 September.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police, added: “We’ve continued to monitor the area as part of routine patrols, and will again have officers in the park over the coming days to speak to anyone with concerns or information.

“A 16-year-old boy who was arrested at the time, and later bailed, has now been released with no further action.

“Anyone with any information can message us via Live Chat on our website, or call us on 101, and quote crime number 20/749042/21.”

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