Top Derry cop Gillian Kearney acknowledges community fear, says Derry sex assault investigation ‘progressing at pace’
Gillian Kearney has said the investigation into two sexually motivated knifepoint attacks on women at the weekend is ‘progressing at pace’ with one line of inquiry that the same man was involved.
The Derry police commander said high visibility a nd tactical patrols will continue in key areas, including parks, over the coming days.
At a press conference on Monday she acknowledged a level of fear in the community following attacks in Drumahoe and Top of the Hill.
In one incident a woman in her 20s was attacked by a man with a knife around 10pm in Drumahoe Park. The victim managed to break free and run for help.
Then on Saturday at approximately 3pm a woman aged in her 40s was walking her dog in Top of the Hill Park, when she was also attacked by a man with a knife.
The woman called out for help and swung her dog lead at her attacker, prompting him to run towards Corrody Road.
He has been described as a white man in his 20s, around 5’ 10” tall with a slim build. He was dressed in black with a hoody pulled around his face.
“We understand the concern these attacks will have on the local community, however, I want to reassure residents of Derry/Londonderry that we will have an increased high visibility police presence in key areas, including our local parks, which will continue throughout the city over the coming days,” said Ch/Supt. Kearney.
The senior officer acknowledged both victims were significantly traumatised.
“It has been a traumatic weekend for the women involved in these incidents and they are being supported by specially trained detectives from public protection branch,” she said.
Police are investigating the possibility the attacks were linked.
Asked if police believed the perpetrator could strike again, Ch/Supt. Kearney said: “As I say we have high visibility patrols in and around key focused areas and that will continue over the coming days. The investigation is progressing at pace. We are following a number of lines of inquiry and will continue to do so.”
Ch/Supt. Kearney added: “If anybody sees anybody acting suspiciously, if anybody has concerns about people's behaviours, inappropriate behaviours, they need to report it to the police. This is about the pursuit of perpetrators.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Lindsay Fisher from the PSNI’s Public Protection Branch concurred: “It is back to Gillian's message that if there are concerns about people's behaviours that that is reported because what we don't want is young women and girls across the country not feeling safe because this is about perpetrators.
"This is about them not feeling safe to commit offences and that's a society that we want to create. We want to create confidence in policing that we will take appropriate action, that we will do that quickly and that's a society that NI wants to be.”
Ch/Supt. Kearney promised to work with civic partners including Foyle Women’s Aid, the Policing and Community Safety Partnership, City Centre Initiative, council and community groups to ensure the city is ‘as safe as it possibly can be’.
"The actual incidence of Violence Against Women and Girls in this past year has reduced but what is concerning most in relation to the incidents reported at the weekend is that they are so unusual,” she said.