A 31-year-old man has been arrested after a teenager was raped in a public toilet on Bournemouth seafront. Police were called to Undercliff Drive, between Bournemouth and Boscombe Piers, at around 1:57am on Sunday, after reports that a woman in her late teens had been raped in a public lavatory on the stretch. Authorities said the suspect, a 31-year-old man from Bournemouth, had been arrested and remained in custody, while the victim was being supported by specially trained officers.
A cordon was put in place in the area on Sunday, as detectives launched an investigation into the incident. A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: “Officers are carrying out increased patrols in the area and we would encourage anyone with concerns to please speak to an officer.”
Despite frequently ranking among the UK’s most popular beaches, it’s not the first time Bournemouth has made the news for crime on its seafront.
Just last week, six people were arrested after a huge brawl broke out near its Victorian pier, with a teenage girl and two police officers injured in the chaos.
Police were given additional dispersal powers following the outbreak of disorder, and Chief Superintendent Helen Dixey pledged that violence in the seaside town would “absolutely not be tolerated”.
“The beaches in our area are visited by many families with children and we want them to have a safe and enjoyable time,” she added.
Bournemouth’s first female MP, Labour’s Jessica Toale, also highlighted concerns about women’s safety in the town earlier this year.
Speaking at an event on International Women’s Day in March, she said: “Experiences of Bournemouth town centre vary widely, but what is clear is that for many women, safety is a huge concern. At best, women are having to change when and how they use [the town] and at worst, they are avoiding it altogether.
“Statistically speaking, Bournemouth is one of the safer towns in the UK, but I fully appreciate that it does not always feel that way.”
Although it has been named among the safest urban areas in the UK, the town nonetheless has the highest crime rate in Dorset, with 83 crimes per 1,000 people in 2023 – 36% higher than the county-wide average.
