Victoria police are searching for two men who allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage girl in Topaz Park on Tuesday morning.
According to a police statement, the teenager, who is an exchange student, was able to break free and escape.
“This is a prolonged and frankly really concerning incident,” said Victoria Police Department spokesperson Bowen Osoko. “That’s why we’re asking people who were in the area or have surveillance footage or dashcam footage to come forward.”
The teenager, whose age is not specified but who police refer to as a “teen girl,” was allegedly walking through Topaz Park between 9 and 10 a.m. on Tuesday when her path was blocked by two men near the field house and washrooms in the northeast corner of the park.
Police say that’s when the two men sexually assaulted the girl. After she broke free, she ran away to a safe place where she told an adult what had happened.
Police have opened an investigation and are working to identify and locate the suspects.
The two men are described as approximately 60 years old, with dark hair and wearing black shirts, black pants and black shoes, according to the Victoria police statement. Both men were carrying large black backpacks and, according to the girl, had “a dishevelled appearance.”
The incident was reported to police Tuesday evening, but according to the statement, they weren’t able to interview the girl until Wednesday night because her parents live outside of Canada.
Police say the girl is receiving support and is currently staying with a host family as part of her exchange. Osoko said they are not revealing her age in order to protect her privacy.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/teen-girl-sexually-assaulted-1.6679791
