Police investigate third incident on Brisbane walking track within two months

Police are investigating after a third incident on a Brisbane walking track within the past two months.

Attempted sexual assault on the Cockatoo Trail, Mt Coot-Tha. Picture: Liam Kidston

Police are investigating after a third incident on a Brisbane walking track within the past two months.

A woman has made a complaint to police after she found a man wilfully exposing himself while she was walking with her child about midday on June 11 at the Boyd Terrace walking track at Brookfield.

It is understood the man was startled when he saw them and they went off in different directions.

It comes after an alleged sexual assault of a woman in her 20s on the Cockatoo Trail at Mount Coot-Tha in May and another incident at the start of June where a woman was reportedly pushed to the ground.

A woman claims to have been sexually assaulted on the Cockatoo Trail at Mt Coot-Tha. Picture: Liam Kidston

The second Mount Coot-Tha attack came to light after former NRL player Arana Taumata posted an Instagram story describing how he’d come upon the shaken and dazed woman moments after a daylight attack.

Queensland Police chief inspector Corey Allen said it’s understood that the men in all three incidents matched a different description.

“We had another report of a gentleman in (Brookfield) behaving in an indecent way on the track,” he said.

“And again, it’s a very different description. But the similarities to me, there are men involved in these offences. And I think men can do better.”

Insp Allen said police were still investigating the two incidents at Mount Coot-Tha.

“To be and to be honest, we haven’t got much to go on with the second one,” he said.

“So while we’re exhausting the inquiries around forensic evidence and witness evidence, we’ve also called out for some Crime Stoppers input and we’ve had some feedback from the community.

Two female walkers return to their car after hear about the attempted sexual assault on the Cockatoo Trail, Mt Coot-Tha. Picture: Liam Kidston

“Our proactive patrols out there have been effective and welcome. We’ve had mountain bikes and I was even up there yesterday talking to people in the car parks that frequent the area.”

He said there wasn’t enough to put out a description of the men but were hoping something turned up in forensic evidence.

“Our focus at the moment really is supporting the victim and supporting the victim survivor to be heard and believed at this stage so that they get what they need and minimise the harm,” he said.

“Often, in some cases, we don’t get a perpetrator for these things, but we can still do better when it comes to supporting victims and making the community both be safe in those areas and feel safe.

“There are two events that were reported there. The trails are very safe and people that use them tell me that they feel very safe, but there’s a very valid feeling among the community and among women in our community that they don’t feel safe, so we need to be real about addressing that as well.”