New hope in rape case
By James Nadin on Thursday, 20th May 1999.
A television reconstruction of the rape of a Haverhill woman and her emotional appeal have produced an astonishing response.
Tuesday night's Crimewatch UK programme pieced together the events leading up to the rape of the 30-year-old mother in Withersfield Road on January 6 and featured an emotional interview with the victim.
She told millions of viewers how the man she had noticed acting strangely before the attack grabbed her as she walked to her car. He then dragged her behind the dentist surgery and attacked her.
She said: "At first he was acting like I was his girlfriend, but then I refused todo things, he raised the tone of his voice and became violent."
After several minutes she fought her attacker leaving a scratch on his face.
"I just want him to be punished for what he has done to me," she said.
Following the appeal, police in the incident room set up to investigate the rape and at the BBC's switchboard received more than 300 calls from the public.
A spokesman said: "We had calls from all over the country, some from police officers and prison officers. We are very pleased with the response."
He said it would take some time to sift through the information to see if any new leads were apparent.
The rapist was a white man, aged 30 to 40, about 6ft 2ins tall, of muscular build, with tidy short brown hair, brown eyes, a pitted complexion and had a strong northern accent.
He wore a black bomber jacket, black trainers covered in mud and a gold onyx signet ring.
An offender profile commissioned by Suffolk police suggested he was likely to make women feel "uncomfortable" around him and was not local.
Anyone with information should contact police at the incident room on (01284) 774131 or crimestoppers on 800 555111.
Tuesday night's Crimewatch UK programme pieced together the events leading up to the rape of the 30-year-old mother in Withersfield Road on January 6 and featured an emotional interview with the victim.
She told millions of viewers how the man she had noticed acting strangely before the attack grabbed her as she walked to her car. He then dragged her behind the dentist surgery and attacked her.
She said: "At first he was acting like I was his girlfriend, but then I refused todo things, he raised the tone of his voice and became violent."
After several minutes she fought her attacker leaving a scratch on his face.
"I just want him to be punished for what he has done to me," she said.
Following the appeal, police in the incident room set up to investigate the rape and at the BBC's switchboard received more than 300 calls from the public.
A spokesman said: "We had calls from all over the country, some from police officers and prison officers. We are very pleased with the response."
He said it would take some time to sift through the information to see if any new leads were apparent.
The rapist was a white man, aged 30 to 40, about 6ft 2ins tall, of muscular build, with tidy short brown hair, brown eyes, a pitted complexion and had a strong northern accent.
He wore a black bomber jacket, black trainers covered in mud and a gold onyx signet ring.
An offender profile commissioned by Suffolk police suggested he was likely to make women feel "uncomfortable" around him and was not local.
Anyone with information should contact police at the incident room on (01284) 774131 or crimestoppers on 800 555111.
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