On Monday (March 23), Greater Manchester Police (GMP) cordoned off two areas of the park, one by the monument at the viewpoint, and one by the cafe, which is near the entrance to the park.
This was done following reports of a teenage girl being assaulted.
Now, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have shared more details, saying the girl “may have come to harm” and that the force is trying to “understand what may have occurred”.
GMP said enquiries began on Saturday, March 21, after the force received a report from the hospital that a girl was in pain and may have come to harm, with hospital staff establishing the girl had scratches on her back.
Now, all lines of enquiry at the park have been explored and police scenes have been closed.
GMP said it still does not know the nature of the incident but is working with forensic specialists to try and establish more information.
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to The Oldham Times’ morning and evening newsletters as well as our breaking news alerts
The girl is being fully supported by officers, with police saying it is continuing to work closely at her pace.
Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Johnston, of GMP’s Oldham CID said: “I appreciate our searches this week will have brought concern and disruption as a result of our work since the weekend.
“At the centre of this is a 17-year-old girl who we are working with to try and understand what may have occurred to her.
“Given the report we received was that the girl may have come to harm, we have absolutely taken this seriously to explore all available forensic and evidential opportunities. This is particularly the case while we have little detail on what exactly may have happened.
“It is important to understand that the girl is experiencing distress, and we are working at her pace to establish exactly what, if anything, she can recall.
“We also have forensic specialists supporting our investigation and we await the results of their testing.
“While the circumstances around this are unclear, we are doing all we can to identify what has happened here as soon as we can so we can reassure the public there is no wider risk.
“We have had no reports since this incident in the nearby area to suggest there is an ongoing risk to the public. I ask anyone with information to contact us, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to help our enquiries.”
Anyone with information which may assist the police investigation, should contact us on 101 and LiveChat quoting Log 2161 21/03/26.
