Rape-hunt police ask men for DNA tests

Over the next week, South Yorkshire Police will call at the homes of men named by TV viewers who telephoned the BBC’s Crimewatch programme, which featured the case of the teenager. She was raped while on her way home from school in the Fox Hill area of the city on Thursday, November 4 last year.

The officer leading the investigation, Det Chief Insp Phil Etheridge, said officers were given 30 names on the night of the TV appeal and another 10 had been passed to Crimestoppers.

He said that carrying out mass DNA tests such as this was rare and added that the tests would be taking place because of the unusual nature of the crime, which was committed by a first-time offender.

“It’s not a tactic we roll out frequently, but as we believe our offender is local it makes sense to appeal to the local community”, Det Chief Insp Etheridge said.

“Anybody who isn’t the offender will be instantly eliminated from the inquiry. So far we’ve had nobody refuse to give a sample, people don’t tend to refuse.

“The only person who has a fear of this will be the offender.

“For anyone else, there’s nothing at all to fear. This is purely for this investigation alone and the sample will quickly and rapidly then be eliminated.”

The detective added: “More often than not, when we get DNA at a scene we have a comparative sample.

“The problem we have is that, when an offender commits an offence for the first time, we don’t have it. This is someone who is unknown to us, which is a bit more unusual.”

DNA tests have already been carried out on around 80 men previously identified to police since the attack on the day before Bonfire Night last year, but their samples have not matched that of the rapist.

He targeted the 14-year-old girl as she walked through a path between Fox Hill Road and Edge Well Crescent, which Det Chief Insp Etheridge said was not on maps and was not likely to be known to those from outside the area.

The attacker grabbed the girl from behind and put his hand over her mouth before pushing her on to a small embankment where he raped her.

He was described as white, around 18 years old and slim, with a spotty complexion and a pointed, dimpled chin. He was also wearing a blue hooded top with white writing on it and had dark brown hair which was gelled forward.

After raping the girl the attacked then apologised, Det Chief Insp Etheridge said, adding: “He could be somebody seeking intimacy in the age group in which he is operating.

“In normal circumstances, this individual might be mild-mannered.

“If you have any suspicions about an individual who fits the description, whose behaviour has changed as a result of committing the offence, who you might think in normal circumstances is a nice lad, but there’s something telling you to ring in – then please do.”

Det Chief Insp Etheridge added: “We’re only looking for one person and that person will be identified by their DNA.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0114 2202020.

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