Jogger sexually assaulted week after Meadows rape

A WOMAN jogger was sexually assaulted in the Meadows just a week after a teenage girl was raped in an attack by two men in the same park.

The 21-year-old was running past the tennis courts on Tuesday evening when she was grabbed by a man and forced to the ground.

The attacker sexually assaulted her, but the victim managed to fight him off and he fled towards Buccleuch Street.

The incident, which happened between 6.50pm and 7pm, followed the rape of a 19-year-old girl in the Meadows the previous Tuesday.

A police spokeswoman said: “There is nothing to suggest this incident is linked to another one in the area last week, although officers are keeping an open mind at this stage as inquiries are ongoing.”

The suspect in the latest sex attack is described as being around 30 years old, 5ft 10in tall, and dark-skinned, possibly of Indian appearance. He was clean-shaven and was wearing a grey hooded top. Police chiefs have pledged that there will be a “continued police presence” in the Meadows to provide reassurance to the public.

A “Reclaim the Night” event is also due to be held tonight in the Meadows following the rape last week, with organisers hoping to rally people to take to the streets of the Capital to mark tomorrow’s UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The march will leave from Bristo Square at 7.30pm, passing through Lauriston Place, Lady Lawson Street, Grassmarket, Cowgate, St Mary’s Street, High Street, George IV Bridge and Bristo Place, before returning to the starting point.

A police spokeswoman appealed for witnesses to the latest attack in the Meadows to come forward. She said: “This was an extremely distressing ordeal for the victim, who bravely fought off her attacker before he made his escape.

“We are appealing to anyone who was in the area of the Meadows last night, who witnessed the incident, or noticed anyone acting suspiciously there, to contact police immediately.”

The 19-year-old rape victim had been walking home along a path IN the Meadows when she was attacked by two men wearing hooded tops at around 3.30am last Tuesday. The attack took place in an area of ground north of Melville Drive.

Following tonight’s Reclaim the Night walk, a ceilidh is set to be held at the Counting House on West Nicolson Street, with proceeds going to Edinburgh charity Shakti Women’s Aid.

A march spokeswoman said: “In the wake of a reported rape in the Meadows on Tuesday, November 15, it is more important than ever to demonstrate that everyone has the right to walk safely in our city, regardless of their gender, age, sexuality, ethnicity, appearance, and the time of day or night.”