DETECTIVES IN DERRY are investigating a serious sexually motivated attacked in Drumahoe last night, in which a woman was attacked by a man with a knife.

The 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.”

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.

“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.