A 23-year-old male has been apprehended following a father’s report of his four-year-old daughter being a victim of sexual assault in a park in Gatineau, Quebec, as confirmed by law enforcement officials. The father contacted authorities around 4 p.m. on Saturday after witnessing the suspect allegedly engaging in inappropriate behavior with his daughter at Pierre-Lafontaine Park, as per information provided by police to Radio-Canada. Upon noticing the incident, the father swiftly approached his daughter, prompting the suspect to push the child aside in an attempt to flee, according to police reports.
A police officer who witnessed the event acted swiftly, first gathering details from the father before pursuing the suspect, as stated by Jean-François Beauchamp, a spokesperson for Gatineau police. The individual has been formally charged with assault and sexual assault, currently in police custody while investigations continue. Beauchamp commended the father’s prompt action, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between law enforcement and citizens in such cases.
Image: Lt. Jean-François Beauchamp, the spokesperson for Gatineau police, discussing the arrest with Radio-Canada on Sunday morning.