Police launch appeal after teenager raped on Princes St

A YOUNG woman has been raped in an early morning attack in Edinburgh city centre.

Police have launched an investigation after the 18-year-old was subjected to a serious assault in Princes Street at around 4am yesterday.

A cordon was put in place on a stretch of the shopping area between Frederick Street and Hanover Street while forensic investigation was conducted.

The incident is not currently being linked to a spate of rec­ent sex attacks in Edinburgh, including ass­aults on young women in Balerno and Craig­lockhart Road last month, a Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed.

The victim is being supported by the authorities while det­ectives establish the exact circumstances of the crime.

A police spokeswoman said: “Police in Edinburgh are investigating following a report of a serious sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman, which occurred on Princes Street around 4am on Saturday 12 September. Anyone with information which can assist with the ongoing enquiry is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

The attack comes just two weeks after a 25-year-old man was raped in Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, on 27 August.

Reports of sexual assaults in Edinburgh – including rapes – have risen by 70 per cent for April to June, according to unaudited management figures from Police Scotland.

The number of cases being solved has remained steady, with seven in ten being detected. However, police attribute a large prop­ortion of the hike to rising numbers of rep­orts of online sex crimes and historic incidents.