26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of subjecting an
11-year-old girl to a two-hour rape an in a park on her way home from
school.
The man was arrested in Edmonton, north London, and is
being held in custody following the attack in nearby Enfield, which left
the girl needing surgery.
She was raped as she walked home along a busy shortcut after getting off a bus on Friday afternoon.
The
girl realised she was being followed and tried to zig-zag across the
road, but the attacker grabbed her and pulled her into Jubilee Park,
where the brutal attack took place.
Scene of the attack: A police
car patrols outside Jubilee Park in Enfield, where an 11-year-old girl
was subjected to a ‘brutal’ sexual assault on Friday evening.
The victim finally got home around 8pm and told her distressed parents what had happened and they took her to hospital.
The park lies opposite a row of smart houses in the affluent north London suburb.
Police are still appealing for witnesses, with up to 60 officers working on the investigation.
Detective
Inspector Simon Ellershaw, who is leading the investigation for the
Sapphire Command, said: ‘It’s a brutal attack on a defenceless
11-year-old girl. It doesn’t need me to say how serious an attack this
is.
‘This was a horrific and unusual attack of a defenceless
school girl making her way home via her usual route, along one of
Enfield’s busiest shortcuts, at the beginning of Friday afternoon
rush-hour.
‘She says the attack happened for some considerable time – possibly in the region of two to three hours.
‘I
am appealing to motorists, pedestrians and any one who may have been
using the park between 16.45hrs-20.00hrs, who may have seen a man
following a girl in school uniform, to contact us.
‘An extensive
search of the park is underway and local officers are conducting
house-to-house enquiries, and we have already been receiving helpful
information from members of the public.
‘Given the significant and
unaccounted amount of time between the incident and the victim’s
arrival home, we are particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have
seen her possibly appearing confused or dishevelled following her
ordeal.
‘All calls will be treated in the utmost confidence.’
He said the girl was being supported by her family and they are hoping she will make a full recovery.
Local residents spoke of their disbelief that such an attack had happened within yards of commuters walking home.
Lewis
Francis, 28, said: ‘I imagine the poor girl’s family must have thought
it would be safe for her to walk home in the afternoon from the bus stop
because lots of people are about at that time.
‘People I know are not going to let their children walk to school alone now – at least not until he is caught.’
Officers
from Scotland Yard’s Sapphire Unit, which investigates rape and sexual
assault in the capital, have interviewed the victim in hospital.
Chief
Inspector Taylor Wilson, based at Enfield, said: ‘Over the course of
the weekend police have been working using every resource available to
support the victim, identify the suspect and provide a police response
to increase confidence and provide reassurance to residents.
‘Although this is an isolated and extremely rare incident, we are treating this with the utmost seriousness.
‘A number of specific reassurance measures have been put in place by Enfield Police.
‘With
immediate effect, officers have increased patrols at Jubilee Park and
other parks within the borough. There will be a high visibility police
presence around schools, and we are in close liaison with key partner
agencies and to keep our communities, especially parents and pupils,
fully informed of any developments.
‘The investigation is being run by a specialised unit from Edmonton Police Station.
‘They are working hard identify the suspect and offer dedicated support to the victim and her family.’
Source: Daily Mail
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