Investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault at Victorious Festival in Southsea

An investigation has been launched into reports of an alleged rape and sexual assault at Victorious Festival in Portsmouth.

The event took place during the bank holiday weekend on Southsea Common and was headlined by Sam Fender, Paolo Nutini and the Stereophonics.

A total of three sexual offences were reported along with one assault, two public order offences and two drugs offences.

Superintendent Sarah Jackson said: "Each year we work closely with the festival organisers, working together to try and create a safe and welcoming environment for all attending.

"This year, a focus of our work with the organisers and their teams on site was placed on violence against women and how to spot the signs of this.

"Throughout the weekend, staff working at the festival acted diligently, alerting us to any potential incidents, which we were able to review and ensure nothing untoward was happening.

"Sadly, we are now investigating a report of a sexual assault and a report of a rape on the site over the course of the weekend.

"We take reports of sexual offences extremely seriously, and we will relentlessly pursue perpetrators in a bid to get justice for victims and make public spaces safer."

No further details of the offences have been released by the police.

A Victorious Festival spokeswoman said: "We work hard, alongside Hampshire Police, to make Victorious a safe environment for everyone and we will continue to support the police in their investigations into the reported incidents.

"Our staff and volunteers are trained to proactively monitor for and deal with incidents of sexual assault and harassment and, as part of the Association of Independent Festivals 'Safer Spaces' campaign, we are committed to raising awareness and encouraging the reporting of incidents if they happen at festivals and beyond.

"Our work with police and other partners before and during the event means we are ready to deal with any unacceptable behaviour which does arise and, with an attendance of over 170,000 people across the three days, we are pleased that the overwhelming majority played their part in making it a safe and enjoyable weekend."