A 20-year-old woman was reportedly sexually assaulted in Primark in Liverpool city centre, leading to the arrest of a man. Police received a report shortly after 1.10pm that the woman was touched inappropriately while in the queue inside the store.
Arrest and bail
Staff were alerted and police attended before detaining a man. A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "A 40-year-old Eritrean national living in Toxteth was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. He has been bailed on condition he does not enter the city centre while enquiries continue."
Support for victims
The spokesperson added: "If you have been a victim of sexual offence or have concerns for someone you know, call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers. In an emergency, always call 999. If you do not require immediate police assistance, then you can report rape and sexual assault anonymously via our website."
For more information, visit www.merseyside.police.uk/VAWG. The spokesperson continued: "If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape, you can access specialist support services, which are free of charge and available to anyone. You do not need a referral or to have reported an incident to Merseyside Police before you access these specialist support services."
"These services can support you in a variety of ways, including offering a confidential discussion if you are thinking of making a police report, but are unsure what that involves and would like to discuss it. If you do decide to report to Merseyside Police, you will receive support throughout the investigation, court process and beyond."
In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside, available on 0151 558 1801. In St Helens and Knowsley, the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.
