By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are investigating the reported sexual assault of a female tourist at a Paradise Island beach on Saturday.

According to reports, shortly after 11am the woman was at the property when she was sexually assaulted by a 34-year-old Bahamian male, who was later taken into custody and is assisting police with their investigation.

Police declined to give any further details on the incident, telling The Tribune the investigation is ongoing and once a conclusion is reached the case will move forward with the relevant authorities.

Police yesterday also confirmed that they are closing in on a suspect in connection with the sexual assault of two elderly women in eastern New Providence between last December and April.

In the first incident, an elderly woman in her mid-80s was reportedly held at bay, robbed of cash and sexually assaulted before the assailant fled her home just off Eastern Road.

At the time of the offence, police believed the incident was random and not connected to any other instance of sexual assault.

However, on April 11, a 60-year-old caretaker was sexually assaulted during a home invasion at the San Souci residence of her employer.

Police said the two women were tied up by the intruder, who then sexually assaulted the caretaker before leaving the home.

According to police statistics released in January, incidents of reported rapes rose six percent in 2018, from 52 cases in 2017 to 55 last year.

Anyone with any information on any of these cases is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS (8477).