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.
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00:00I'm Chief Superintendent Gillian Curden, Area Commander of Derry City in Strabane District.
00:05At around 10pm on Friday evening, a woman in her 20s was walking in Drummahill Park
00:09in the city when she was attacked by a male carrying a knife.
00:12She managed to break free and run for help. Shortly before 3pm on Saturday afternoon,
00:17a woman in her 40s was walking her dog in the top of the hill park area in the waterside
00:22when she was also attacked by a male carrying a knife. She called out for help and swung
00:27her dog lead at him, prompting him to run off in the direction of the crawly road.
00:32He's described as a white male in his 20s, around 5 foot 10 tall,
00:36with a slim build and was wearing all dark clothing. He had his hoodie pulled tight around
00:41his face. Detectives are investigating the possibility that the attack in Drummahill
00:46on Friday night is linked to the attack at the top of the hill area on Saturday.
00:52Police responded very quickly to both these reports and conducted searches
00:56and unfortunately at the time a suspect was not identified.
01:02We understand the concern that these attacks will have in the local community and I want to
01:07reassure people across the district today that we have an increased visible police presence in key
01:13areas, including our local parks, which will continue throughout the city over the coming days.
01:19I can assure residents that there is no link to the attacks in the city centre last week.
01:24In both of those cases a suspect has been identified with one appearing before the courts
01:30last week. Both cases are live and ongoing. We are engaging with our communities and partners
01:36in the city about what we can do as a collective to ensure women and girls feel safe and empowered
01:42to go about their lives without fear. I would ask that if you notice someone acting suspiciously
01:49or if a person's behaviour causes you concern, do not approach and instead call the police
01:54immediately. We are appealing for anyone who is in those areas over Friday and Saturday to please
02:00get in touch with us. Witnesses or anyone with information that could potentially assist our
02:07investigations can call 101 or submit online via the PS&I website. The Crime Stoppers charity can
02:14also be contacted anonymously. We understand the concern that's in the community at the minute
02:20and we have been working with the university in the run-up to Freshers' Week and engaging with
02:26all students across the university. We're engaging with local community groups and key partners
02:34across the area and we'll be helping people in any way we can. But what I want to say is
02:40if anybody sees anyone acting suspiciously, if anybody has concerns about people's behaviours,
02:45inappropriate behaviours, they need to report it to the police. This is about the pursuit
02:50of perpetrators. I understand people's concern at the minute. We work closely with our partners
02:56across Derry City and Stravan District and people such as Mari Brown at Foy Women's Aid
03:05or local PCSP, CCI, the council and community groups to ensure this city is as safe as it
03:14possibly can be. The actual incidence of violence against women and girls in this past year has
03:20reduced but what is concerning is most in relation to the incidents that were reported at the weekend
03:27is that they are so unusual and that's why today we appealed for information.
03:31For anybody who is in those areas on Friday night and Saturday, anybody who has any concerns
03:36about someone's behaviour to please contact us and assist in that investigation. We have
03:40high visibility patrols in and around key focused areas and that will continue over the coming days.
03:46The investigation is progressing at pace, we are following a number of lines of inquiry
03:51and we'll continue to do so. I'm really grateful the fact that the police do have a seat at the
03:56table for the executive offices ending violence against women and girls because it is societal
04:01and everybody does need to play their part because by the time a crime has occurred it's too late,
04:08somebody has already been traumatised, another young woman or girl has already had an incident of
04:15violence, harassment, assault against her so it is societal and we do all need to play our part
04:21and it's back to Gillian's message that if there are concerns about people's behaviours
04:26that that is reported because what we don't want is young women and girls across the country
04:32not feeling safe because this is about perpetrators, this is about them not feeling safe to commit
04:39offences and that's the society that we want to create. We want to create confidence in policing
04:44that we will take appropriate action, that we will do that quickly and that's the society that
04:49Northern Idaho wants today.