City on rape alert after new attack

Women in Derry are living in fear of a rapist striking again, it was claimed tonight.

As police investigated a second attack inside two months, welfare workers spoke of the terror facing women in the city.

Helena Bracken of the Nexus Institute sexual abuse counselling service said: “It is quite frightening.”

In the latest attack, a 23-year-old woman was “brutally and savagely” raped after being grabbed by three men with southern Irish accents.

Two of the men left the scene before the third, referred to as “Baldy”, carried out the attack in an entry between Grafton Street and Lower Nassau Street at about 3.50am yesterday.

The assault occurred less than two months after a woman was raped near the city walls in Magazine Street.

Ms Bracken said residents were both horrified and frightened after the second attack.

“It is shocking to have two horrific and high-profile rapes in the city in just a few weeks and people are absolutely horrified,” she said.

“Many people will think twice about going anywhere on their own and I think they will now sit up and take notice, and do what they can to try to ensure they are safe at all times.”

However, pointing to the recent rape of a teenage girl outside a Toomebridge nightclub, she added: “But this problem is not just limited to this city. There seems to have been a spate of sexual assaults across the province recently.”

Detective Inspector John Gilmore said the victim of yesterday’s attack had suffered an “horrific ordeal”.

A police spokesman said tonight officers had received a number of calls from witnesses and were studying CCTV footage in a bid to trace those responsible for the attack.

The mayor of Derry, Kathleen McCloskey, also expressed her outrage.

“I am absolutely appalled that a young woman has been raped in our city, the second such incident to have taken place in recent weeks,” she said.

“On behalf of the entire community in Derry, I wish to express my utter sympathy and support to this young lady and her family. This rape is an indictment of the society in which we live.”

Ms McCloskey appealed to all young people to take care when going out at night.