The Met are now seeking public assistance in their ongoing investigation of a sexual assault on a female police officer. The incident occurred at the Notting Hill Carnival on August 29, 2022 (scroll down for the relevant CCTV footage)
Incident Background
As the officer moved through a large, tightly packed crowd along Westbourne Grove, W11, two individuals sexually assaulted her.
The high volume of people around her made it impossible for her to identify the perpetrators.
Despite an extensive search, the assailants remain at large.
The Call to the Public
PC Richard Spears, a Notting Hill Carnival post-incident team member, spoke about the severity of the crime.
“Notting Hill Carnival is a vibrant event. Communities unite here to celebrate, and the atmosphere is generally friendly and welcoming.
However, the suspects in this incident exploited the cover of a dense crowd to sexually assault a female police officer,” he explained.
He further emphasised the severity of the crime, noting the disturbing nature of a sexual assault on an officer during her duty.
He has urged the public to come forward if they can identify the men from the CCTV footage.
The Notting Hill Carnival – A Hotbed Assaults On The Police?
A worrying trend of police assaults during the Notting Hill Carnival emerges when looking at the data from 2022.
A staggering 74 police officers suffered injuries during the event.
These injuries ranged from bruises and cuts to serious incidents involving fractures and eye injuries.
Twenty-four police officers experienced assaults without sustaining physical harm.
A total of 14 people found themselves under arrest for assault on police.
The majority of these assaults seemed opportunistic rather than pre-planned.
However, some instances included serious planned assaults, with one officer falling victim to a stabbing attack.
The Met expressed disappointment at the high rate of officer assaults during the carnival.
Anyone with information about the sexual assault incident or recognises the men in the CCTV footage should call 101, quoting reference CAD 5082/25Apr23.
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Violence and assault at the Notting Hill Carneval? Whatever next! Everyone knows that this is a peaceful, law abiding event going right back to when it started in the mid 70s. I recall going there in 1977 and being confronted with a massive outbreak of pacifism and love that needed hundreds of police, all lamentably badly equipped, to deal with.