Knife attack youth sought

Press, 7 March 1984, Page 1

Knife attack youth sought

Christchurch detectives are making a big effort to catch a knife-wielding youth who attempted to rape a woman in Richmond yesterday morning. The police are making house-to-house inquiries in the area near Cumberland Street, where the woman flats, to gain information about the youth, described as Polynesian. Detective Senior-Sergeant Roger Carson said the attack on the woman, aged 25, was “particularly bad.” She was shocked ana suffered a cut on the hand as a result of the incident. The woman, a shift worker, awoke between 10 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. to find the youth on top of her. He threatened her with what is believed to be a 10cm bread knife and demanded to know where her money was. He then held her face down on the bed, and kneeling on her back, tied her arms behind her with a scarf found in the bedroom. He gagged her with a leather belt and pulled a pillow case over her head. “She was continually threatened during this time,” said Detective Senior-Sergeant Carson. The youth then pulled the woman off the bed and attempted to rape her on the floor. He also committed an indecency on her. He then made off, leaving the woman struggling on the floor. She eventually succeeded in untying herself and immediately telephoned the police. Detectives are looking at the possibility that the attack might be linked to another incident in Richmond late last year in which another woman was disturbed by an intruder. The police believe that the youth might have discarded the knife and a stocking, which the woman thought he wore as a mask during the attack, in the Cumberland Street area. Anyone who finds those objects or who saw a youth acting suspiciously in the area yesterday morning is asked to get in touch with the young persons squad at Christchurch Central Police Station. The attacker is described as being about 16, about 170 cm (sft 7in) tall, with fine features. He wore blue overalls and possibly a yellow T-shirt or jersey.