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Woman, 50, sexually assaulted by man while she was walking her dog in nature reserve, cops begin manhunt

The man is said to have pushed the woman to the ground and then sexually assaulted her, before leaving the scene with her mobile phone

BY RHEA TIWARI

PUBLISHED SEP 11, 2022

The woman, said by police to be in her 50s, was walking through Wigan Flashes nature reserve when she was approached by a young man (Wigan Flashes LNR/ Facebook)

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Greater Manchester police are on the hunt for an attacker who sexually assaulted a woman in her 50s while walking her dog. The incident occurred in Wigan Flashes Local Nature Reserve on September 10, 2022. The victim had taken her dog for a walk in the nature reserve when she was shoved to the ground and assaulted in the early hours of Saturday, between 7.30 am and 8.30 am.

The 19-year-old suspect is yet to be found. He is described as having short, closely cropped brown or ginger hair and had been wearing a navy blue bomber jacket at the time of the assault. Police have begun a manhunt for him. Reportedly, he approached the victim, following which he threw her to the ground and sexually assaulted her. As per an article by the Daily Mail, Greater Manchester Police believe this to be an "isolated incident."

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Following the attack on the woman, police patrolling in the Wigan Flashes region has been amped up. After the victim's description of her attacker, local authorities have begun the investigation into the matter and have urged the public to come forward if they have any leads. They have also issued an appeal for witnesses who may help better identify the suspect who is yet to be apprehended.

According to a post on Facebook by the official handle of Greater Manchester Police - Wigan West, the attacker fled from the scene and took the victim's mobile phone with him. The police have described him as a "white male aged around 19-20, 5’7ins tall, of slim build with short brown/gingery hair combed back and wearing a blue t-shirt, and a dark navy blue bomber jacket."

In a statement, Police Constable Nathan Meadows, of GMPs Wigan district, said: "We understand that this incident will cause concern but we believe it to be an isolated incident and are working hard to locate the male responsible. We will also have extra patrols in the area from today onwards." He further asked the public for their help in finding the offender, "I'd ask anyone with any information, or anyone who may have witnessed the offender in the area, so please contact Wigan CID on 0161 856 7122 quoting log number 913 of the 10th September 2022, as soon as possible. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."