POLICE investigating a sex attack in broad daylight on a 16-year-old girl have questioned residents and motorists one week on from the horrific assault.
James Hore
POLICE investigating a sex attack in broad daylight on a 16-year-old girl have questioned residents and motorists one week on from the horrific assault.
The teenager was threatened with a knife before being forced into a dark coloured car and driven to a nearby alleyway where she was sexually assaulted in Wivenhoe, near Colchester.
An image of the man responsible has been released and police have said they believe he has knowledge of the local area.
Yesterday officers carried out door-to-door enquiries and stopped motorists.
Detective Inspector John Ross said the victim had been left traumatised by what happened at about 4.10pm last Sunday.
He said: “It is fair to say the incident has understandably caused a great deal of trauma and specially trained officers had to spent a lot of time with the young girl because of the upset it caused.”
Det Insp Ross said it was difficult to say whether the man would strike again, but said such attacks were very rare.
Officers are studying CCTV footage, but people with private cameras have also been asked to provide tapes.
“We have had a lot of information come in but it is too early to say how significant it will be and enquiries are continuing,” Det Insp Ross said.
Police were called just after 4.20pm last Sunday and the teenager told them she had been assaulted in an alleyway between Broome Grove and Vanessa Drive.
In the minutes leading up to the assault she had been stopped while walking along The Cross by a man in a dark coloured car.
The car pulled in front of the doctor's surgery and the driver asked her for directions.
As she was walking away her assailant grabbed her by the wrist, threatened her with a knife and demanded she get in the vehicle.
The young woman got in the front passenger side and the man drove off. Near the alleyway she was dragged by her hair from the car and then assaulted.
The suspect is described as white, aged 40 to 50, 6ft tall, of big build, with brown and grey hair which was fluffy and messy and was wearing jeans and a grey jumper.
Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at Colchester CID on 0300 333 4444
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