Police investigating a serious assault in Ipswich town centre are trawling through hours of CCTV footage and carrying out forensic work in a bid to piece together what happened.
A woman aged in her 20s was found unconscious and injured in a car park in Tacket Street at around 1.20am on Sunday, prompting officers to fear she may have been sexually assaulted.
The attack is thought to have happened between 12.15am and 1.20am and Suffolk Constabulary is appealing for witnesses or anyone in the area at the time to get in touch with information.
A spokesman for the force said: “Police are continuing their inquiries, reviewing CCTV footage from the town centre and forensic work is taking place as we try to understand the circumstances after the incident.”
The victim has been supported by specialist trained officers.
The attack bears similarities to the one in Rope Walk in February, where a young woman was followed, grabbed from behind and bundled into a car park following a night out with friends in the town centre.
CCTV footage was crucial in tracing culprits George-Hari Constantinescu and Danut Gheorghe, who were jailed for a combined total of 24 years after a jury found them guilty of attempted rape.
Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s police and crime commissioner, has described the Tacket Street incident as “barbaric”.
He added: “I am utterly appalled at this cowardly and brutal attack. It is absolutely shocking and an act of extreme depravity. I can certainly reassure everybody in Suffolk that whatever can possibly be done to bring the perpetrators to justice quickly is being done.
“These crimes are pretty rare in Suffolk. When they do happen, we are all shocked and appalled and our thoughts go to the victims. I understand why there is public anxiety. I feel that anxiety myself.”
The assault is the latest in a long line of violent crime in Ipswich over the past year.
Ipswich MP Sandy Martin and Ipswich Borough Council leader David Ellesmere have called for extra police cover in the town centre at night at weekends.
Mr Martin said there were 300 fewer police officers in Suffolk than 2010, adding: “We are now seeing the consequences.”
This newspaper has called on organisations to work together to put an end to such violence before the town’s reputation is damaged.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here