Crimestoppers are now offering a reward of up to £5,000 to find a man who is linked to attacks on two young women in South West Edinburgh, over five years ago.
On Thursday, 27 August 2015, a then 19-year-old woman got off a bus in Lanark Road West, just after midnight.
A man approached her in the Newmills Road area, who claimed he had a knife. He proceeded to lead her to a nearby field, where he raped her.
Just over three weeks before, on Wednesday 5 August, 2015, a then 21-year-old woman was grabbed from behind and then sexually assaulted in Craiglockhart Quadrant.
She got off a bus in Colinton Road, shortly before the attack at around 10.30pm. The man who assaulted these women had not been on either bus.
Advancements in DNA forensic science have established that both attacks were by the same person. Police have a full DNA profile of the man responsible.
Angela Parker, Scotland National Manager at the charity Crimestoppers said: “These victims have been through horrific ordeals which no one should ever have to endure. We should all be able to walk around in our community safely during the day or at night without fear, which is why our charity has put up this reward.
“We are appealing to anybody who may have information on this attacker to contact our charity, with the promise that you will remain completely and totally anonymous.
“We know the police are looking for somebody ‘you’d least expect’ to commit such awful offences. Please cast your mind back to August 2015. Was there somebody in your life, a colleague, a friend or a family member who was acting in an unusual way for them at the time? The Edinburgh Fringe Festival was taking place and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s theme was East Meets West, to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
“Everyone who contacts our charity stays 100% anonymous. We’ve been supporting people to speak up anonymously since we began in 1988 and have always kept our anonymity guarantee to everyone who trusts us with their crime information.
“People tell us how difficult it can be coming forward, but that our anonymity guarantee gives them the confidence to take action, safe in the knowledge that no one will ever know. You can call our UK Contact Centre which is open 24-hours a day on freephone 0800 555 111 or you can use our simple and secure anonymous online form.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
