Police appeal over gang rape of girls at horse fair

BRITISH police in Cumberland are to appeal for information tonight on BBC TV’s Crimewatch programme about the gang rape of three teenage girls at last year’s Appleby Horse Fair.

Police suspect Irish Travellers who were attending the fair may be able to help them in the investigation.

Tonight, detectives will appear on the long-running show and appeal to the public to help them track down the teenage gang who raped the girls.

Last week, British police issued CCTV pictures of youths who they suspect of being the sex attackers.

The suspects — one of whom may have been as young as 12 — were captured on camera in Appleby around the time of the sex attack.

Two 13-year-old girls and a 14-year-old girl visiting the town were raped in broad daylight in a secluded area of the town’s Belgravia estate on June 5, 2005.

Four youths or young men took part in the attack. Another is believed to have watched as the girls were raped. Police believe the attackers were gypsies or Travellers.

The historic fair attracts thousands of gypsies and Travellers every year.

The girls, who are from outside Cumberland but are not Travellers themselves, contacted police in their own county after the fair, and an investigation has been underway since then.

A year after the crime, police released pictures of the suspects to coincide with this year’s Horse Fair, which ran until Wednesday last week.

Officers handed out leaflets to travellers, and a mobile police station with the CCTV footage displayed on a laptop computer was set up on site.

A reconstruction of events leading up to the crime was filmed in Appleby last week, and girls who were raped revisited the scene with police.

Detective Inspector Mark Backhouse said: “I can’t image the distress and trauma that has been caused to these girls by these crimes.

“But all three girls have attended the fair, and, with our support, they actually went out into the fair to try to find those responsible.

“I can only applaud them for the bravery they’ve shown and their courage in going out and trying to find them.”

The fair this year was marred by a series of other violent incidents.

*Crimewatch UK. 9pm on BBC1.