Manhunt in Norfolk after reports two teenage girls were raped on Great Yarmouth seafront

Norfolk Constabulary is running a live rape inquiry after officers were called to South Beach Parade, Great Yarmouth, at 12.37am on Saturday 16 May 2026 following reports that two teenage girls had been attacked. Police stress that charges have not yet been tested in court; the public task for now is securing evidence and locating anyone else involved.

A man aged in his 30s was arrested in Northamptonshire the next day, Sunday 17 May, on suspicion of rape and taken to the King’s Lynn Police Investigation Centre, where questioning continued while custody reviews ticked. A second male suspect remained outstanding midweek, with detectives circulating a tight physical description—white, short dark hair, dark facial hair, thought to be in his 30s or 40s, last seen in blue jeans and a dark green jacket with a pale stripe down each sleeve—to focus door-to-door and CCTV triage rather than speculative social-media identifications.

What the neighbourhood will see

Chief Inspector Nick Paling, the Great Yarmouth district commander, published reassurance messaging acknowledging how distressing the case is for victims, relatives, and residents. Specialist child and adult sexual-offence investigators are supporting both girls, while uniform colleagues extend high-visibility patrols along the seafront arc where late-night crowds mix residents, tourists, and late-shift workers.

The initial forensic cordon on South Beach Parade has been lifted, a signal that scene preservation moves have ended and that detectives are now working telephone downloads, medical disclosures, and witness statements rather than static tape lines.

How to help without compromising the inquiry

The force asks anyone who was near South Beach Parade in the small hours of 16 May, or who captured phone or dashcam footage that might show approach routes or vehicles, to report through official channels rather than posting clips online. The published crime reference is 36/34665/26; reports can be filed via the constabulary website, 101, or anonymously through Crimestoppers.

Until prosecutors receive a file, the legal position remains allegation-stage: naming uncharged suspects or sharing intimate detail risks contempt as well as re-traumatising those already in contact with specialist support services.