Seven-hour ordeal of victim dragged into rapists' den in broad daylight

Published on Tuesday 17 February 2009 20:57

A YOUNG woman was subjected to a rape ordeal lasting seven hours after she was dragged from a path near a busy supermarket by two men in the middle of the afternoon.

The 24-year-old woman was sprayed in the face with a noxious substance that rendered her temporarily blind.

The men, who had Eastern European accents, then dragged her through scrub and undergrowth into a concealed, makeshift den 15 yards from a Lidl store where she was repeatedly raped until her release at 10pm on Monday.

Despite screaming loudly two or three times, the woman was unable to attract attention because the shelter was covered over, and screened from view by trees. On being released, she was able to run home and raise the alarm.

The woman, originally from Australia, was attacked at about 3pm as she walked home in Edinburgh. The two men struck as she walked out of the Telfer subway leading from the Fountainbridge leisure park to Orwell Terrace in Dalry.

Allan Jones, the detective superintendent leading a team of 20 officers from Lothian and Borders Police who are investigating the rape, said that the trauma the victim had endured could not be overestimated.

"This was a pretty horrible and sustained attack over seven hours. It is very rare for an incident like this to happen at this time of day," he said.

"I would appeal to anyone who has been walking in the area around that time who may have seen or heard anything."

Praising the victim for the courage and fortitude she displayed throughout her ordeal, he said she had managed to get through by keeping up a dialogue with her attackers, which may have helped contribute to her eventual release.

"Despite this protracted series of attacks conducted upon her, she has maintained an unbelievable resilience," he said.

He described the structure that the victim was held captive in as "a lean-to, recess or howf covered with bits and bobs" which looked like it had been built to "protect from the elements". He said local people may have seen or heard activity there in the past, and added that it might also be used by homeless people for shelter.

The victim, who had been en route to her home in the Dalry Road area, described her assailants as being in their mid 20s, with Eastern European accents. One of them was about 6ft tall, of medium build with bad teeth and dark hair, shaved short.

He was wearing a distinctive blue raincoat with the words "New Zealand" emblazoned across it. The second was 5ft 10in with short blonde hair. He was wearing a black waterproof jacket with knitted sleeves.

Det Supt Jones said police were examining CCTV footage covering the car park, Lidl, and a 24-hour garage next door.

Police reported a very good response from members of the public who were walking in the area at the time and who thought they had seen people fitting the descriptions given by the victim.

"We will be pursuing this to the utmost degree," said Det Supt Jones.

IN QUOTES

SHOPPERS yesterday spoke of their shock that the attack could have been happened so close to shops.

Ursula Ross, 70, a retired teacher from Carricknowe, told The Scotsman: "It is terrifying that this could have happened in broad daylight. I once took that route myself but have never done it since because of the odd characters hanging around."

Daniel Wellington, 38, a plainclothes security guard for Lidl, said: "I could not believe that the rape went on for so long without anybody noticing. I was keeping an eye on that area last night at 9pm because I thought someone dodgy had been shoplifting and then gone up the steps towards the park."

Jim Muir, a barman who lives in nearby Springwell Place, comes shopping every other day in Lidl. He said: "I am shocked this happened at 3pm. It is so strange that no-one would have heard anything. This is a place that people use a lot."