Broome sex attack: Suspect threatened people who came to victim’s rescue

The man suspected of sexually assaulting a woman who was out on her morning jog in Broome threatened members of the public who came to the aid of the victim, before running away, police said.

About 5.20am, police were called to an area of bushland alongside Gubinge Road, between Jigal Drive and Sayonara Road.

A woman aged in her 40s was jogging along a track when she was approached a man walking in the opposite direction.

As she approached and they crossed paths, the man grabbed her and sexually assaulted her.

The woman fought the man off and screamed for help. Several members of the community came to the woman’s aid.

Speaking at a press conference in Broome, Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Beck said the man threatened members of the public who tried to help.

“There was no physical altercation, but the man made verbal threats to the members of the public who tried to intervene before he ran away,” he said.

“Anyone at all that was in the vicinity between the time of 5am and 5.30am, if they have dash-cam footage or any other information, or if they saw anyone who was acting suspicious, please contact police.”

The man is described as Caucasian, at least 40 years of age, 170-175cm in height and sporting facial hair, believed to be a goatee.

Several officers could be seen scouring the area in the hours after the attack, with a pedestrian pathway running alongside Gubinge Road cordoned off.

Detectives from the Sex Assault Squad are travelling to Broome to assist local detectives.

It comes after a woman was sexually assaulted in May while attending a “bush doof” on Cable Beach.

A 31-year-old woman was attending the party when she left the group to relieve herself behind a dune.

Her attacker is alleged to have approached the victim and hit her over the head several times, causing her to fall to the ground where he then sexually assaulted her.

After the incident, the man took off into the dunes and the victim, who was badly injured, alerted the event organisers.

In that incident, the perpetrator was described as being slim built, between 172 and 177cm in height and possibly dark-skinned.

Sen. Sgt. Beck said the two incidents are not related.

“No, they’re two separate incidents, and we’re treating them as two separate incidents,” he said.

“Obviously the Cable Beach incident is still an ongoing investigation.

“There’s still a lot of resources involved in that investigation. But at no stage what we have nothing to indicate to us at this time, that they are linked in any way. But we’ll be keeping that option open, I would assume.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident, or who has CCTV, dash-cam or mobile phone vision of anyone in the area between 430am and 6am today is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.