UK NEWS

CATCH THE SHOW MONSTERBEFORE HE RAPES AGAIN

At the Royal Highland Show this year

Friday July 3,2009

THE mother of a teenage girl who was raped at the Royal Highland Show yesterday said her family had been left “devastated” as she appealed for the attacker to give himself up.

The 17-year-old victim, from the Grampian area, was attacked in the early hours of Saturday morning during the Young Farmers’ Ball at the event in Ingliston, Edinburgh.

It is the second such attack at the event in three years.

Detectives have asked guests at the ball on Friday to send any photographs they took at the gathering in a bid to identify the rapist.

The girl’s mother urged anyone with information on the attack to contact police, warning: “If he isn’t caught he could do it again.”

She added: “My daughter is trying to put this awful experience behind her, and as a family we are trying to live life as normally as we can.

“We are all devastated, but we are strong, and are pulling together as a family to get through this.”

Her daughter managed to give a detailed description of her attacker and has been working with police to build up an e-fit picture of the suspect.

The victim’s mother said: “I would appeal to the person who carried out this crime to hand himself in.”

Lothian and Borders police yesterday appealed again for any photos taken by cameras or phones at the event. Officers are hoping to produce a DNA profile which can be run through the national criminal database in search of a match.

The victim had emerged from a portable toilet between the marquee and the east caravan park when the man pushed her back inside between 12.30am and 1am on Saturday.

He is described as white, mid-to-late 20s, stocky build, and between 5ft 9in and 5ft 10in. He was unshaven with short brown hair, described as being in a gelled, messy style, and he had a distinctive small nose.

He was wearing light blue jeans, and a dark blue rugby-style shirt with yellow letters on the back.

In 2006, a 17-year-old girl was knocked down and raped as she went from a Young Farmers’ disco to a caravan in the north car park.

Police have set up a dedicated e-mail address at highlandshow@lbp.pnn.police.uk to receive the pictures.

Amazon.co.uk Widgets