Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Superintendent Sean Parnell explains how investigations are progressing into two sexual assaults in Casuarina

Transcript

Superintendent Sean Parnell explains how investigations are progressing into two sexual assaults in Casuarina · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Now, as I mentioned, two women have allegedly been sexually
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: assaulted at Casarina Square. So a woman was loading her
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: shopping into a car when she was approached from behind
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  Speaker 1: and allegedly assaulted on Friday evening. Police say the same
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: man was then captured on CCTV allegedly assaulting another woman.
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  Speaker 1: Now joining us on the line to tell us more
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  Speaker 1: about the situation is Superintendent Sean Parnell. Good morning to you. Sean.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, good morning Katie.
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  Speaker 1: How are you not too bad?
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: Sean?
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  Speaker 1: Can you talk us through these incidents? It's Casarina.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. So the first incident was in the afternoon on
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  Speaker 2: Friday afternoon, a woman was taking a shopping walking it
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  Speaker 2: to her car and a young offender has approached her
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  Speaker 2: from behind and grabbed her and allegedly decently assaulted her.
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  Speaker 2: So that's under investigation of the moment and the offender.
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  Speaker 2: The offenders yet to be identified for that. And the
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  Speaker 2: second defense it's occurred on the Saturday afternoon at Casarina
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  Speaker 2: as well, and that was at the loading dock area
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  Speaker 2: at the shops there. Now at this stage that was
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  Speaker 2: reported to us as a sexual assault, but we're unable
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  Speaker 2: to verify that at this stage until we actually locate
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  Speaker 2: the alleged victim and also the alleged defender, and both
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  Speaker 2: neither of them have been located. At this stage, we
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  Speaker 2: think we know who. We put out circlars to try
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  Speaker 2: and locate the woman involved, and we have a couple
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  Speaker 2: of strong leads that detectives are following up today and
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  Speaker 2: hopefully in the immediate future we'll be able to speak
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  Speaker 2: to her to see if she has any information to add.
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  Speaker 2: But this stage is unclear exactly what occurred. There was CCTV,
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  Speaker 2: but it is obscured, but detectives are still working on
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  Speaker 2: to ascertain exactly what occurred in that incident.
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  Speaker 1: So Sean, can I just confirm? So these incidents happened
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: at the car park at Casuarina Square.
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  Speaker 2: The first one was in the car park, the second
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  Speaker 2: one was at the rear of the of the Casarina
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  Speaker 2: shopping complex.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, and one was Friday and the other was Saturday.
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  Speaker 1: Or were they both on the same day?
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  Speaker 2: Now, one was on Friday and the other one was.
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  Speaker 1: On Saturday, so presumable, well presumably obviously the territory police
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  Speaker 1: are still trying to apprehend this offender. But you know,
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  Speaker 1: does it seem as though he's frequenting the shops and
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  Speaker 1: and sort of you know, aiming to assault people or
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  Speaker 1: what's he doing here?
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  Speaker 2: Well, we don't think so this day there certainly we
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  Speaker 2: haven't got any other information that he's committed any other offenses.
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  Speaker 2: It could have just been opportunistic offending. But certainly we've
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  Speaker 2: been you know, looking at those areas, patrolling saturation, patrolling
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  Speaker 2: of locations where he might be. The detectives and the
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  Speaker 2: uniform personnel. The've all got a clear picture of this
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  Speaker 2: offender from the CCTV. So it's only a matter of
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  Speaker 2: time until we do locate him.
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  Speaker 1: Now, I know that you said you're still trying to
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  Speaker 1: locate the second the second victim, But in the in
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  Speaker 1: the first victim's case, how are they doing? Have they
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  Speaker 1: needed to be provided support?
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  Speaker 2: Look, we offer that as a matter of course when
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  Speaker 2: we speak to victims. I understand she doesn't require any support,
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  Speaker 2: and at this stage she's still considering her options about
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  Speaker 2: whether to proceed with a prosecution once the offend is located.
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  Speaker 1: All right, And in the case with the second woman,
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  Speaker 1: I understand that she was unconscious. Is that something that
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  Speaker 1: you're able to sort of elaborate on or is there
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  Speaker 1: any further detail?
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  Speaker 2: Well, the report came that from the CCTV operators watching
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  Speaker 2: it that she appeared to be severely intoxicated. Where yet
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  Speaker 2: to establish that, but certainly you know from the CCTV
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  Speaker 2: the police have been able to examine that there's no
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  Speaker 2: movement when when this chap was near her. So see
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  Speaker 2: the very heavy sleep but possibly intoxicated or yeah.
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  Speaker 1: And Sean, do we do the police believe that the
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  Speaker 1: offender was like he was acting alone here?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, certainly there's no indications that anyone else is involved
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  Speaker 2: and appears it possibly could be just an opportunistic offending
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  Speaker 2: with people you know, who are alone and by themselves.
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  Speaker 1: All right, So a plan of approach obviously for the
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  Speaker 1: police today. I would imagine that they're conducting some pretty
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  Speaker 1: thorough investigations to try and get this person.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's correct. As I say, we've got some strong
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  Speaker 2: leads on some identity of this of the woman involved,
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  Speaker 2: and they will be followed up today. But in the interim,
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  Speaker 2: all the available patrols, you know, we put the bill
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  Speaker 2: on the lookouts for and certainly everyone every police officer
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  Speaker 2: around the Greater Day in areas where what this chap
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  Speaker 2: looks like and they will certainly find him if he's around.
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  Speaker 1: Today, Sean, can you just give us that description if
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  Speaker 1: you've got in front of you so there you know
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  Speaker 1: that our listeners are aware as well.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I just the power's gone off and it's not
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: on the computer.
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  Speaker 1: That's all right, I've got it here, I have got it,
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  Speaker 1: so I'll be able to provide that so I know
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  Speaker 1: you obviously don't have the computer there in front of you. Hey,
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  Speaker 1: But in the meantime, can you tell us, really, what
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  Speaker 1: are you urging shoppers to do? Are we concerned that
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  Speaker 1: this guy could pop up again?
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  Speaker 2: Look, we don't think so. But everyone should always be
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  Speaker 2: mindful that their safety when they're out in public and
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  Speaker 2: be aware of their surrounds. I don't think people need
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  Speaker 2: to be alarmed at this stage, certainly, you know, particularly
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  Speaker 2: in the second incident. You know you wouldn't. We don't
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  Speaker 2: recommend if you have been drinking or even late at night,
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  Speaker 2: just be mindful of where you're sleeping, and particularly for
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  Speaker 2: people a lot of people are sleeping rough you know,
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  Speaker 2: I should be hanging around in groups. You know, it's
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  Speaker 2: always dangerous if you're sleeping by yourself in an isolated area. Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: Well, look, the offender is described as an aboriginal male
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  Speaker 1: in his teens with long, curly hair. At the time
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  Speaker 1: of offending, he was wearing a black cap, black T shirt,
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: white shorts and black shoes, so obviously the police will
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  Speaker 1: and truly onto it. And yeah, hopefully you're able to
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  Speaker 1: apprehend him sooner rather than later.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks, thank you.
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  Speaker 1: We appreciate your time this morning, Shawn, Thank you.
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  Speaker 2: No worries, Thanks Katie.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks And that number if you are keen to call
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  Speaker 1: through this morning eight nine four one one O four nine.
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  Speaker 1: But that was Superintendent Sean Parnell there.