Women avoiding Mt Coot-tha trails after new sighting of attacker
By Tony Moore
Police are intensifying efforts to find a reportedly tall, skinny, bald man who has allegedly harassed women in Mt Coot-tha Forest after the fourth complaint in five weeks.
Twice women have been knocked down and pinned to the ground on the walking trails of the bushland in Brisbane’s western suburbs.
The latest complaint was made about an incident that happened between 8.30am and 9am on Thursday, June 27, along the Litchfield Track, a popular walking trail.
A man dressed fully in black was seen acting suspiciously by a group of women hikers.
It was reported to police that the man “aggressively tore a branch off a tree as a woman was running by”, a women’s hiking group social media post said.
“He was also seen drawing ‘pentagrams’ on the ground.”
This was confirmed by police on Saturday who said they had used the police helicopter, foot patrols and police on trail bikes but were unable to find the suspect.
“Police are investigating following reports of a man loitering along the Litchfield Track and Mahogany Trail at Mt Coot-tha on Thursday morning, June 27,” a QPS spokesman confirmed.
“Polair and police on foot conducted patrols of the area, however were unable to locate the man.
“No one was injured, and no threats were made.”
Police are now asking for anyone who has any information on the series of attacks to come forward to help their investigations.
The “Mt Coot-tha Creep’s” desciption and sightings
Bald male, thin build, Caucasian appearance with a moustache, last seen wearing black clothing.
- June 27: Litchfield Track near the Mahogany Track
- June 11: Creekside Street near Brookfield, alleged wilful exposure
- June 7: Maculata Track, alleged sexual attack. May not be linked, police say
- May 13: Cockatoo Trail, alleged sexual assault on 25-year-old woman
Source: Queensland Police Service, June 29, 2024
Police on Saturday said the June 27 incident was not linked to an earlier incident on Mt Coot-tha’s Maculata Track on June 7, which they continued to investigate.
On June 7, a woman in her 30s was allegedly knocked to the ground and pinned by a man “dressed in black” around lunchtime, according to witness Arana Taumata.
Three weeks earlier, on May 13, a woman in her 20s was also pinned to the ground, but managed to escape from the man, sparking a major manhunt through the bushlands.
Police say “proactive patrols” of the area by uniformed officers on bicycles, trail bikes, in cars and on foot have now increased.
The Mt Coot-tha Reserve is Brisbane’s largest bushland reserve. It includes 1600 hectares of natural bushland and is ringed by residential suburbs.
On June 11, an older man exposed himself to a woman with a young child on a walking trail near Creekside Street in Brookfield.
On May 13, a 25-year-old woman reported being pushed to the ground and sexually assaulted on Mt Coot-tha’s Cockatoo Trail, before she struggled free and the man fled.
The woman has withdrawn her complaint, police said.
Police have yet to issue a comfit image of an alleged attacker.
At a recent police media conference Inspector Corey Allen said women had reason to feel unsafe on Mt Coot-tha’s walking trails.
“These are very isolated events, it’s just a state of the times and the environment we’re in where women have good reason to not feel safe in public.”