A young mother has revealed she was sexually assaulted at her local swimming centre as she held her two-year-old daughter.
Cassandra Sunners, 26, was allegedly assaulted at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre as she spent time in the whirlpool with her two children, aged two and seven.
The fast pace of the water meant it was easy to bump into one of the other swimmers swirling around in the whirlpool.
But the alleged attack was no accidental bump, the Western Sydney mother told Daily Mail Australia.
She claims as drifted through the water with her daughter, she felt a hand ‘grab her from behind’.
Then the hands allegedly forced their way beneath her swimmers.
‘It took three to five seconds for a disgusting vile man to make me a victim,’ Mrs Sunners told Daily Mail Australia.
A Sydney Olympic Park Authority spokesperson confirmed the incident had happened but could not provide any further details.
‘The offender has been taken into custody and it is now a police matter,’ she said.
At first she thought the person grabbing at her was her young son who was swimming independently nearby.
But instead she locked eyes with her alleged attacker. ‘I turned around and looked straight in his eyes. As soon as he made eye contact with me he put his head under water,’ Ms Sunners told Daily Mail Australia.
‘The security personnel at the centre at the time of my attack said: ”You’d be surprised how often this kind of thing happens here and in the whirlpool”,’ she said.
‘Surely these incidents that are occurring specifically in the whirlpool can only happen so many times before something is done or changed?
‘After speaking with life guards, security guards, a police officer and a detective this afternoon, I have been informed by all that I am not the first and the whirlpool is a common place for predators.’
The man who allegedly assaulted the mother-of-two has been charged with assault, indecent assault and act of indecency.
She continues to express her disgust over the situation because she wants to stop other people from becoming victims.
After writing a post about the incident on her personal Facebook page the mother let her friends know she was okay following the attack.
‘I’m okay guys. I have a beautiful supportive family and wonderful friends like you guys. I would rather it be me than some young girl or boy who may have been too afraid to speak up,’ Mrs Sunners said.
She wants to warn other parents of the dangers.
“Please parents, don’t let your children in there. I beg you.”
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