Man arrested after Turkish woman allegedly ‘punched in the head’

The Bournemouth Echo reports on the arrest of a 55 year old man on suspicion of a racially or religiously aggravated assault after a Turkish woman was verbally abused and punched on the side of her face while out walking in Charminster in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The incident happened at around 2.20am on Saturday 13 August when the victim, who is in her 20s, was approached by a man who allegedly made offensive comments of a religiously aggravated nature before striking the woman with a blow to the side of her face.

A passer-by came to the victim’s assistance taking her to a nearby bar before calling the police. The victim suffered bruising to her face but was not in need of medical treatment.

Dorset Police released a CCTV image of the man wanted in connection with the alleged assault.

The Bournemouth Echo reports Dorset police have now made an arrest and a man is assisting police with their inquiries.

Inspector Jonathan Wasey of Dorset police said: “This was a vicious and unprovoked attack on a young woman as she walked alone.

“We would still like to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident or who saw a man matching the description given in the area at the relevant time.

“Racially or religiously motivated incidents such as this have no place in our community and they will simply not be tolerated. A full investigation is underway to find the offender.”