Girl, 10, who was assaulted in a Blair Athol park toilet told her mum she was bound and gagged during the horrific attack

Police believe the horrific sexual assault of a young girl in a Blair Athol park toilet was pre-planned, as the child’s mother revealed her daughter was bound and gagged before fighting back.

Detectives believe a man who bound and gagged a young girl during a sexual assault in a Blair Athol park toilet pre-planned his attack, after the girl’s mother revealed horrifying new details of the crime.

The 10-year-old girl said she was assaulted in public toilets last Wednesday at the Blair Athol Sport Community Club sometime between 5pm and 5.30pm.

The mother of the victim claims her daughter’s mouth and eyes were covered by tape and her hands bound behind her head during the horrific attack, believed to be by a fellow member of the Afghan community.

“She’s very scared, she said a man took her in the toilet,” the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told The Advertiser.

“(My daughter) said: ‘My mum is outside’. He said: ‘I don’t care if your mum is outside’.

The girl told her mother two young girls, aged approximately three to five, were with the man and called him “Dad”.

On Thursday morning, Detective Chief Inspector Richard Lambert said the terrifying incident showed “some pre-planning and premeditation”.

“It does show some preparedness on his behalf,” he told FIVEaa radio.

The playground at Blair Athol Reserve that a 10-year-old ran past to escape an attacker after an alleged assault in nearby public toilets. Picture: Google Street View

The mother said her daughter was forced to the floor and told to “wash your hands” after the attack, before she elbowed the man and ran from the toilets.

“She’s running fast and went outside, she took the bike and came home,” the mother said.

“He followed her to the playground … (then) he took his children and walked away.

“I’m very stressed, very scared and I am very sad. I want him found.”

She said her eldest child was emotionally crushed by the incident and was now wary of being alone outside.

Special Crimes detectives released a computer-generated image of the suspect on Monday with an audio message in the Hazaragi and Dari languages, urging anyone who may know the man to come forward.

Det Insp Richard Lambert said the man was likely the father or a close relative of the two young girls.

He said people in the vicinity of the clubrooms, playground, car park or public toilets may have seen the man behaving suspiciously or seen unusual activity, particularly around 4.30pm to 6pm.

“It is very brazen,” he said.

“Because of the nature of the crime being committed, of course it would lead you to wonder about what’s occurring to the other two girls as well, which is vital for us to identify him quickly.”

The suspect is described as an Afghan male, approximately 30 to 50 years old, with dark hair with a fringe that partially covered his forehead.

He was believed to be wearing a grey top and peach shorts at the time.

Police believe the man lives in the area, but did not discount that he may have driven to the park.

If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, call the national hotline 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you have information for the police about this attack, please call 131 444.