A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of rape after a woman in her 20s reported being attacked overnight on Brighton beach, with Sussex Police cordoning off part of the seafront near the i360 tower as forensic officers search the scene.
Sussex Police have arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of rape after a woman in her 20s reported being attacked on Brighton beach overnight. Officers sealed off part of the seafront, including an area of beach in front of the i360 tower, as forensic teams searched for evidence following the report. The force said the incident is understood to have taken place overnight between Tuesday 4 August and Wednesday 5 August, and confirmed the man arrested remains in custody as enquiries continue.
What police have said
In a statement, Sussex Police confirmed they were investigating a report of a rape involving a woman in her 20s on Brighton Beach, believed to have occurred overnight between the Tuesday and Wednesday. The force said “the victim is receiving support from specialist trained officers,” and confirmed the man “arrested on suspicion of rape… remains in custody” while the investigation continues.
The scene at Brighton beach
Uniformed officers were seen guarding a police cordon on the beach on Wednesday, with others carrying evidence bags away from the scene as the search continued. Cordons of this kind are routinely put in place during serious investigations to protect potential forensic evidence and prevent the scene from being contaminated before specialist examinations can take place. In rape investigations specifically, forensic officers may need to secure a scene for several hours in order to recover evidence such as DNA, clothing fibres, footprints, CCTV footage and digital material that could assist detectives.
Support available to the victim
Sussex Police has specially trained sexual offence liaison officers who support victims throughout the course of an investigation, helping them access medical care, counselling and support in navigating the criminal justice process. Victims of sexual offences in England and Wales can also be referred to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, where they can receive specialist medical care, a forensic examination and emotional support, whether or not they choose to report the offence to police straight away. Under UK law, anyone who reports being the victim of a sexual offence is entitled to lifetime anonymity, regardless of whether the case ultimately proceeds to court.
What happens next
The man arrested may be questioned under caution while detectives continue to gather evidence, before prosecutors at the Crown Prosecution Service decide whether any charges should be brought. The CPS can only authorise a charge where there is enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and where doing so is considered to be in the public interest. As with anyone arrested in the UK, he remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. Detectives investigating incidents on busy seafronts often appeal to the public for witnesses, along with any relevant mobile phone footage or dashcam recordings from people who were in the area at the time.
A busy seafront
Brighton beach is one of the UK’s busiest seafronts, drawing millions of visitors every year, with the area remaining busy well into the early hours during the summer months.
A previous case at the same location
The report comes just weeks after three men, previously described in court as failed asylum seekers, were jailed following their conviction for gang-raping an unconscious woman on Brighton beach, in a separate and unrelated case.
Anyone affected by the issues raised in this article can contact Rape Crisis England & Wales free and in confidence on 0808 500 2222.
