A family of five was assaulted in Highwoods Country Park in Colchester while performing a ceremony to mark the death of their stillborn daughter.
The victims, a local man and woman and three children aged between 11 and 17 went to the park in Turner Road to carry out the event - one day after she died - at around 6.30pm on July 23. They had hoped to set off balloons but they were burst by the assailants.
Police said they walked past a group of people, who made some comments to them.
An argument followed before the family was attacked. The father was repeatedly kicked and punched to the ground, and a family friend, a woman in her 40's, was also punched to the face and received two broken fingers.
Investigating Officer DC Yusseff Rahmani-Manesh said: "This was an appalling incident, where the victims had buried their daughter that morning after she was tragically still born.
"They attended the Country Park during the early evening in order to hold their own private ceremony, where they intended to release balloons in their daughter's memory.
"This traumatic, emotional and private act was destroyed by a group who took it upon themselves to target a grieving family and deliberately burst the sacred balloons before then going on to assault the family.
"The father's three children aged between 11 and 17 were also assaulted and received minor injuries."
Six people, including two men, two women and two teenagers from Colchester were arrested on suspicion of assault.
They are a 21-year-old man, a 23-year-old man, a 20-year-old woman, a 26-year-old woman; a 14-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl have been bailed until Friday, September 19.
Dc Rahmani- Manesh would like to speak to anyone who may have any information about this attack.
Anybody with any information is asked to contact him at Colchester CID via Essex Police 101 or they can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
