Rape update: Police focus on 24 "persons of interest"

Thursday 07 November 2019

Jersey Police have narrowed down a 13 minute window when they believe a teenage girl was raped in Gorey at Halloween.

They would like to speak to the driver of a silver or grey hatchback which left Gorey pier at 00:01 last Friday morning (pictured above on left), and may have driven past the bus stop where the rape took place, just a few minutes later. The young victim was collected by her mum at 00:13. They say the driver or passengers of that car may have vital information.

In the continuing hunt for the rapist, the Police issued an update this morning, ahead of a reconstruction which is scheduled to take place at 19:30 today:

• Nearly 250 house-to-house enquiries have been conducted.
• Over 50 members of the public have been in contact to provide information.
• CCTV from over 15 different sources has been received and is being analysed.

They say that work has yielded 24 'persons of interest' who they are now looking at more closely. 

In total there are 24 officers working on the case. 

The police have also updated the description of the man they are looking for, changing "stocky and muscular" for "big and strong" - the full description is now: around 5’9, with a big and strong build with thick brown hair and a short brown/grey beard. He was also said to be wearing a coat that was too big for him and a baseball cap, and spoke with what Police have described as a "foreign" accent.

Pictured: the bus stop where it's believed the rape took place. 

They have also now confirmed that the attack took place between midnight and 00:13, on Friday morning 1st November, when the victim was collected by her mother. 

They believe at least 65 vehicles passed the scene between 23:30 to 00:30 so there are still a number of people the police would like to speak to, even if they think they saw nothing.

Detective Superintendent Stewart Gull described the assault, which happened at the bus shelter situated at the end of the Common where Gouray Village Main Road meets La Rue à Don, on the side of the golf course. 

“She had been with friends, it was obviously Halloween so lot of people out and about last night with friends and family,” Mr Gull explained. “That had come to an end and she left her friends and contacted her mum, who agreed to come and collect her from that point.” 

The man, who was not known to the victim, walked by and asked if she needed a lift. The girl declined, but the man returned several minutes later. He offered again to drive the girl home, but she refused. He then raped her.

Pictured: Detective Superintendent Stewart Gull

“I think she was overpowered and he took control of her. It happened quite quickly,” Mr Gull said.

The girl told the police she had a feeling he had followed her from where she had come from in Gorey Village. 

While he offered the girl a lift, the man arrived and left the scene on foot. Mr Gull said a car was heard shortly after the attack and that Police are aiming to establish whether it was the perpetrator.

 Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Police on 612214 or 612612, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.