TV show reveals rape investigation

A rape case which shocked Peterborough was featured on a Channel 4 documentary.

On Monday the first episode of the new series of ‘24 Hours in Police Custody’ was broadcast on Channel 4 at 9pm - focusing on an investigation into two sex attacks in Peterborough.

In September a woman was raped as she walked near Rhubarb Bridge in the city.

A week later, another woman was sexually assaulted in the same area.

Officers carried out extensive enquiries in the area, including intelligence work to try and identify a pool of individuals who matched the physical description of the attacker and with the relevant behaviour traits.

This included researching all street robbery and theft from persons over the previous 12 months, and it was this research that identified a teenager who had been voluntarily interviewed for a street robbery in August 2017. His DNA was not taken at the time, but when officers visited him he consented to an elimination sample being taken, and this provided the match against the rape sample.

In November, a jury found the 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons and was not fit to stand trial, did commit the rape and sexual assault.

He is awaiting sentencing and currently the subject of a hospital order which is due to be reviewed next month.

DCI Adam Gallop, who led the investigation, said: “This was a complex case which was devastating for the victims, who both showed courage and strength throughout.”

The programme is still available online at All 4.