LAST UPDATE | 3 Nov

A FOURTH WOMAN in just over a week has been the victim of a sexually motivated attack in Derry, PSNI detectives have confirmed. 

Yesterday afternoon, a woman in her 40s in the Waterside area was walking her dog in Top of the Hill Park when she was approached by a man armed with a kitchen knife. The man grabbed at the woman but she called out and swung her dog lead at him, prompting him to run off.

Police responded quickly and conducted a thorough search however the attacker had left the area.

It’s believed the suspect headed in the direction of Corrody Road. He is described as a white man in his 20s, around 5’ 11” tall with a slim build and was wearing all black clothing. He had his hoody pulled tight around his face.

Detectives are investigating the possibility that this attack is linked to a similar attack in Drumahoe on Friday night.

In the separate attack, a woman, aged in her 20s, was attacked while walking in Drumahoe Park at around 10pm last night, when her attacker approached her from behind.

The man punched the woman to the side of the head, pulled her into nearby trees and pushed her to the ground at knifepoint.

The woman struggled with her attacker, managing to strike him in the face a number of times with her torch before she was able to break free and run for help.

Police immediately responded to the area and searched for the attacker, who had fled the scene.

Detectives investigating this attack are appealing to anyone who was in the park last night and who saw anything that could assist the investigation to please get in touch.

Detective Inspector Ross Olphert said: “Understandably the victim has been left traumatised and extremely distressed by this ordeal. Our specialist officers are continuing to support her today and a full investigation is underway.

“Attacks like this are an attack on all of us. Women should be free to go about their lives free from any threat.

“I am asking anyone who can assist our investigation and help us identify this perpetrator to get in touch with us by calling 101, quoting reference 1928 01/11/24.”

Speaking today, Olphert said: “We understand that there will be concern in the community at a second knifepoint attack on a woman in just two days, with this latest one occurring during daylight hours, however I can assure residents that a focused, tactical patrolling plan – which includes a high visibility police presence in key areas such as our local parks – has been implemented and there will be an increased police presence across the city in coming days.

“Whilst we are carrying out a number of enquiries to establish if there is any definitive link between these two attacks, I can assure residents that there is no link to attacks in the city centre last week. In both of those cases a suspect has been identified and those cases are ongoing.

“We are engaging with our communities and partners in the city around what we can do, as a collective, to ensure women and girls feel safe and empowered to go about their lives without fear.

“In the interim I would ask that if you notice someone acting suspiciously or if a person’s behaviour causes you concern, do not approach and instead call police immediately.

“Witnesses or anyone with information that could potentially assist our investigations can call 101 or submit online via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.

“The Crimestoppers charity can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.”

Community concerns

Local representative, SDLP’s Sinéad McLaughlin, said that people in Derry are “very concerned” after a number of recent sexually motivated attacks. 

Last week, a woman in her 50s was sexually assaulted by an unknown man in an alleyway in Derry. The woman sustained serious facial injuries as a result of the attack.

Speaking today, McLaughlin said that she would be raising the issue directly on the floor of the Assembly tomorrow morning. 

“There is huge concern in our city following a number of recent attacks on women. I am seeing details of self-defence classes being shared online and women and their families having real fear about them heading out on their own.

“Mothers are having to caution their daughters to take care when out and about and this should not be happening.

“My heart goes out to everyone impacted by the events of the last week in our city, the victims are uppermost in our thoughts, but behind closed doors there will be many women who have had similar experiences and this will have brought it all back.”

Speaking yesterday, prior to the fourth incident, she said: “This is the third report of a serious sexual attack in our city in a week and people are understandably concerned. We have a number of victims who have been through the worst experience imaginable and police have had to increase their patrols to reassure people,” she said.

McLaughlin added that violence of this nature is “all too common place in our society”.

“I would urge anyone with any information about these attacks to come forward to police. We need to send a serious message about the consequences for engaging in this kind of sickening behaviour,” she said.