RAPE SUSPECT ARRESTED IN M62 SWOOP
MAN, 46, QUIZZED OVER CITY ATTACK ON WOMAN IN 20s AS POLICE RECOVER CAR
A MAN was arrested in a dramatic motorway swoop on suspicion of rape after a woman in her 20s was attacked.
Police detained the 46-year-old man, from Wythenshawe, after he was pulled over by officers at junction 28 of the M62 in West Yorkshire.
He remained in custody waiting to be quizzed by detectives.
It comes after Greater Manchester Police received a report that a woman had been raped in a car on Marriott Street in Withington in the early hours of Friday, March 26.
Detectives from the force’s City of Manchester South Division launched an investigation following the attack.
Investigators released CCTV footage last Tuesday of a car they believed to have been involved in the incident.
A black Seat Ibiza, which officers believed was seen on the footage, was recovered on the M62 and has been seized as evidence.
Police said the victim, a woman in her 20s, has been kept informed with the developments. She continues to be supported by police and specialist partner agencies, they added.
Enquiries remain ongoing but police have stressed that they believe this to be an ‘isolated incident.’
The attack has horrified those who live in the south Manchester suburb, leading councillors in the area to urge residents to assist GMP with the investigation.
Becky Chambers, Labour councillor for Withington, said: “I was shocked to hear about this horrific attack and my thoughts are with the victim at this incredibly difficult time. At a time when the safety of women and the issue of male violence are at the forefront of our minds, this attack serves to remind us of the attacks, threats and harassment that women sadly face every day.”
Supt Richard Timson, of GMP’s City of Manchester South Division, said: “The arrest of a man overnight, with support from our policing partners in Humberside and West Yorkshire, is an important step forward in this investigation and our officers continue to work at pace to ensure the person responsible is brought to justice.
“A car believed to be seen on CCTV footage we released last week was also recovered overnight, and we encourage anyone with any potential information or suspicions about a vehicle matching that description to contact police.
“I’d like to thank the public for their support so far and remind them that any piece of information they could give us to aid our investigation could be significant.”
Anyone with information can call police on 0161 856 6063, quoting incident 1019 of 26/03/2021. Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.