Lead in rapist hunt

Press, 9 December 1983, Page 5

Lead in rapist hunt

The Christchurch police say they have a “very live inquiry” into the rape of a woman, aged 20, in the grounds of the Christchurch East School, Gloucester Street, on Tuesday evening.

“Various householders have supplied us with information that we are following up,” said Detective Senior-Sergeant R. G. Carson. Ten detectives made house-to-house inquiries yesterday in the block bordered by Fitzgerald Avenue, Chester Street, Barbadoes Street, and Worcester Street. They will continue to make inquiries in this area today. The police believe that

the man they seek has been seen about the school grounds three or four times recently. Detective Senior-Sergeant Carson said the police also wanted to talk to a woman who was assaulted near the school gates about 10 days ago. A number of persons had approached the police yesterday after an identikit picture of the alleged rapist was published in “The Press,” he said. These persons, including two motorists who had driven through the area about the time of the attack, gave the police information concerning the identikit or had sighted the woman before she was attacked.

However, Detective Senior-Sergeant Carson said that the Christchurch C. 1.8. would still like to hear from anyone who was in the area betwen 10.20 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. The woman was “frogmarched” by her attacker across Gloucester Street to the school grounds where she was raped and forced to peform a number of indecencies. During the 30-min-ute ordeal the rapist held a screwdriver at her throat and continually threatened her with violence. He is described as a thick-set Polynesian, in his 30s, and about 173 cm (sft Bin) tall. He has very dark brown skin and straight, black hair.