Boardmasters Festival – teenager, 17, arrested on suspicion of rape at music event in Cornwall
A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of rape at the Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall
A TEENAGER has been arrested on suspicion of rape at the Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall.
Cops have confirmed the arrest of a 17-year-old youth which took place in the grounds of the festival just outside Newquay.
Ian Drummon-Smith, police commander for East Cornwall, confirmed a 17-year-old male from West Sussex had been detained.
The youth is currently being held in Newquay.
A spokesman for the festival said: “We can confirm that there was an incident at Boardmasters festival.
"An arrest has been made and the matter is being dealt with by the police, who we are helping with their enquiries.
";We thank the police and security teams for their rapid response to this incident."
They added: "Sexual assault and harassment of any kind is entirely unacceptable and treated as criminal activity at Boardmasters.
"We continue to work closely with police and security services to ensure the best possible help is on hand for our attendees, and that comprehensive measures are in place for emergencies of any nature.
"It is encouraging to see that a culture shift around reporting sexual assault or harassment is becoming more apparent.
"We encourage Boardmasters festivalgoers to look after each other, familiarise themselves with the site, campsites and location of first aid and welfare tents.
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"Across the entire site, there are staff at these tents specially trained to deal with emergencies including sexual assault and harassment.
"We strongly advise festivalgoers to report suspicious behaviour to any member of festival staff, they are there to help at all times. "
The festival now in its 37th year combines surf, skating and music over five days.
Headlining this year's event were Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Chemical Brothers and George Ezra.