Police in Tasmania are investigating reports of a second sexual assault at Falls Fest at Marion Bay in the state’s south-east, following an alleged incident that took place in a camping area at around 8.30pm on Saturday.
Per ABC News reports, the victim, a young woman, received support on site but said that she did not want a formal investigation into the matter. Police say that they will follow up “elements” of the incident with a view to public safety.
Detective Constable Damien McVilly said:
“Ultimately, the decision always lies with the victim in regards to making a formal police complaint, and that’s a decision that she’s made. There is quite a significant public interest in incidents of this nature, so we’ll follow up with part of the report that we can follow up on just to make sure we’re across what’s happened, and putting any preventative measures in place if we’re able to identify suspects.”
This event follows a separate incident last night, in which a 19-year-old woman claimed that she was sexually assaulted by an unknown male in the Falls Fest mosh pit. Police have condemned the incident, are urging any potential witnesses to come forward.
“We’re still working with the event and the victim with hopefully identifying a suspect in relation to that matter,” said Constable McVilly of the mosh pit assault. He earlier told reporters:
“The key message here is that although the mosh pit itself is designed for close contact, any form of touching without the other person’s consent is not okay. We want patrons to feel safe and enjoy the event so we urge anyone witnessing this kind of behaviour to report it immediately.”
Stickers reading “enjoy the festival, don’t assault anyone” have been displayed prominently around the site of this year’s Falls Fest in Marion.
