Police investigating a gang rape in an Oxfordshire churchyard have urged a Good Samaritan woman to come forward after she allegedly tried to stop the attack.
The woman in her 30s was attacked by a group of men at St Mary’s Church in Banbury and in the surrounding area of the market town centre on Sunday morning.
Thames Valley Police (TVP) said officers were hunting for a ‘white man’ but have not yet described the other suspects involved because ‘this is all we have at this time’.
Another woman – also with no description from police – is believed to have helped the victim, and detectives want her to come forward to help identify the suspects.
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Mark Personius said: ‘I am making a public appeal to a specific witness, a woman, who we believe may have tried to help the victim. At this stage we don’t have a description of this Good Samaritan.
‘However, if you believe you are the woman, please contact the police as you may have vital information that can help us piece together what happened.’
The force also said there was currently no information linking the rape to migrant hotels, after speculation ‘regarding the possible ethnic background’ of the attackers.
TVP Cherwell, the local force covering Banbury, confirmed yesterday that ‘one of the offenders is said to be a white man’. But the force has not revealed any descriptions of the other men – or how many were involved in the ‘horrific’ attack.
The woman was attacked by men at St Mary’s Church in Banbury, Oxfordshire (file image)
TVP has been under fire from Banbury locals for not revealing a description of the attackers, who are still at large.
Last summer, riots across England and Northern Ireland were partly fuelled by social media, which wrongly claimed the Southport murder suspect was an illegal immigrant.
In recent months, police have been inconsistent on disclosing the ethnicity of a suspect. When a car ploughed into Liverpool FC’s trophy parade in May, police rushed to say a white man had been arrested.
But Warwickshire Police were accused of a ‘cover-up’ after refusing to disclose the backgrounds of two Afghan asylum seekers who allegedly abducted and raped a 12-year-old girl. They deny the charges.
The Daily Mail revealed Warwickshire Police advised councillors and officials not to disclose the background of the suspects for fear of ‘inflaming community tensions’.
It is believed they thought unrest would break out like that seen at Epping in Essex, when an Ethiopian asylum seeker staying in a hotel was charged with trying to kiss a 14-year-old schoolgirl.
A TVP spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of speculation circulating regarding the possible ethnic background or origin of the individuals connected to this incident.
‘At this stage, we have no further verified description of those involved, and any assumptions being made are unfounded and unhelpful to the investigation.
‘We can confirm there is no information at this stage to link this investigation to migrant accommodation. We urge the public to refrain from speculation.’
Earlier, TVP had said it was ‘working tirelessly to identify the offenders and will share more with the public as soon as we can’.
Sean Woodcock, the Labour MP for Banbury, said he knows the Oxfordshire attack ‘will have shocked the entire community’.
Councillor Dr Kerrie Thornhill, a Labour councillor for Banbury Hardwick, added: ‘I condemn this cruel, cowardly attack and would like to express my sympathy and solidarity with the survivor.
‘Women and girls deserve to be safe and free in all spaces, 24 hours a day.’
Dr Chukwudi Okeke, district councillor for Banbury Cross and Neithrop, said he is ‘horrified about the shocking’ attack, adding his ‘heart goes out to the victim’.
He added: ‘I had a meeting with the police this afternoon, and specially trained officers are supporting the victim.
‘I would appeal to the members of the community who may have information that would help police, especially the specific witness, to contact the police.
‘I know this will have shocked the community. I would like to reassure all residents that the police are doing their best to ensure that Banbury remains a safe place to live and visit.’
Nearby residents said St Mary’s churchyard was a hive of anti-social behaviour both before and after dark.
One single mother living in a flat overlooking the churchyard said: ‘You often hear screams from there but it’s difficult to know if they are being caused by people, perhaps making their way home from the nightclub around the corner, or from foxes. We do get lots of foxes in the churchyard.’
The woman said she reported a knife and bottle fight in the churchyard three weekends ago, adding: ‘It was on a Saturday afternoon in broad daylight. Groups of men had smashed bottles and were attacking each other with them.
‘You often get a group of Polish men sat there (in the church yard) drinking in the afternoon. It is not a pleasant place sometimes – I have seen kids as young as ten doing drugs in there and I’ve had men snorting cocaine off the lid of my wheelie bin before’
But the woman said she did not hear anything this weekend and said police had not been making door-to door enquiries in the vicinity of her flat.
‘I was in all day on Sunday and the police didn’t come around here’, she added. ‘It’s really concerning to hear what has happened. But I didn’t hear anything on Saturday night.’
St Mary’s Church had to cancel Sunday’s parish Eucharist and encouraged people to pray for the victim.
Reverend Serena Tajima, the vicar, told the Telegraph she was ‘absolutely devastated’ to hear about the incident, adding: ‘It is heartbreaking that it happened right here. Our prayers are with the victim and also with the Good Samaritan.’
Rev Tajima also said how she found the churchyard cordoned off upon her arrival to prepare for her Sunday service.
She said: ‘We had had this lovely music event earlier in the day. To have that happen in the early hours is really sad. I know it does get quite dark here because the trees cover the lampposts. We have flood lighting but that only stays on until midnight.’
And a Banbury Town Council spokesperson said: ‘We are extremely shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the terrible incident that occurred in St Mary’s Churchyard in the early hours of Sunday morning.
‘Our thoughts are with the victim and those close to them at this incredibly difficult time, as well as the wider community of Banbury who will no doubt have been affected by this news.’
Mr Personius added: ‘This is a horrific crime and Thames Valley Police is conducting a thorough investigation to identify the offenders. We are supporting the victim with specifically trained officers at this extremely difficult time.
‘The town centre would have been busy on a Saturday night into the early hours of a Sunday morning, therefore, I would also appeal to anyone else who saw or heard anything in the area between about 12am and 2.30am this morning to come forward.’
Anyone with information is asked to contact Thames Valley Police online or by calling 101, quoting incident 43250495078. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on its website or by calling freephone 0800 555 111
