Police say alleged sex assault in Delta park was a false report

A sketch of the suspect from the alleged sexual assault that has now been recanted (Delta Police)

Police say an alleged sexual assault that that took place in a North Delta park has now been determined to be a false report.

The alleged incident was reported to Delta police on April 13, 2018. The victim informed police that the attack occurred between 12:30 and 1 am on April 12, near Sunbury Hall in North Delta. The victim said she was dropped off by a friend and was walking through Sunbury Park. She was approached from behind forced to the ground and sexually assaulted.

Police immediately launched an investigation and released a sketch of the suspect. Due to concerns of the public, police also held a meeting on May 9, which featured a number of community safety experts.

Now, authorities say that “evidence has come to light that caused police to believe the alleged assault may not have occurred.”

“In a follow-up meeting with the woman she confirmed the assault did not take place and recanted her statement to police,” said Delta police in a release.

Delta Police spokesperson, Cris Leykauf, says this case should not discourage other victims of assault to come forward.

“We understand the community was very troubled by news of the alleged stranger sex assault in the park,” said Leykauf.

“A significant number of resources were dedicated to this investigation. However, our concern right now is that we do not want this news to discourage any other potential victims of sex assault from coming forward. Our investigators will always treat these reports very seriously, and will work with the community to do our best to ensure the public’s safety.”

Delta police would like to remind the public that making false reports to the police is a crime and a person may be prosecuted accordingly.

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