Harwich: Sexual assault arrest

A man has been arrested after officers responded quickly to reports of a woman having been seriously sexually assaulted in Harwich.

We were called by a member of the public shortly before 6.10am this morning, Sunday 8 January, who had serious concerns for the welfare of a woman in Garland Road.

Officers from Harwich Local Policing Team were on the scene within minutes and were able to quickly take an account from the woman whilst also ensuring her welfare.

Thanks to quick investigative work, the team were able to identify a person of interest.

A 32-year-old man from London was located in Harwich within one hour and was arrested. He has since been released on bail while enquries continue.

Detective Chief Inspector Dan Morrissey, of our public protection unit, said:

“Officers in Harwich responded incredibly quickly to this call and that has meant we were very quickly able to identify someone we would like to speak to.
“And thanks to that work, we were able to make a really timely arrest.
“The victim is now being supported by specialist officers and our investigation is continuing at pace.
“For us, the safety of women and girls in Essex is paramount and we will always respond quickly and seek to bring perpetrators of crimes against women and girls to justice.”