Man arrested after woman raped while walking in Hyde Park

TW: This article includes mentions of SA and rape.

A man has been arrested following the rape of a woman in Hyde Park, Leeds.

The offence took place on April 9th. The woman was reported to be walking through Hyde Park at around 10pm when she was approached by the offender on Autumn Avenue.

West Yorkshire Police are asking members of the public to come forward if they are aware of any information about the incident.

Detective Inspector Tom Crossfill of Leeds CID has said: “I would like to appeal for anyone who saw anything suspicious in or around Autumn Avenue last night, which would assist in our investigation, to please come forward.”

A full statement from West Yorkshire Police said:  “We’re appealing for witnesses following the rape of a woman in Leeds last night.

“The incident happened at around 10pm in the city’s Hyde Park area. The victim was walking to a nearby show when she was approached by a man on Autumn Avenue who proceeded to attack her.

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“A man has been arrested on suspicion of rape and is currently in custody. The victim is being supported by specially-trained officers.

“We have arrested a man aged in his thirties in connection with the offence and he is currently in custody.”

Those who may have witnessed the incident or have supporting information which may help the investigation can alert West Yorkshire Police by calling 101 or accessing West Yorkshire Police’s live chat quoting reference 13260200509.

If you have been affected by the contents of this article, University of Leeds students can find counselling and wellbeing support here. Leeds Beckett students can find support here. Information about local support for Leeds residents can be found here.

You can also contact the Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123. Alternatively, you can contact Shout, a 24/7 text messaging service, by texting the word “Shout” to 85258.

To access support about sexual assault, you can call Rape Crisis England & Wales on 0808 500 2222, The Survivors Trust on 0808 801 0818 or The Hazlehurst Centre – West Yorkshire Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0330 23 0099.

Featured image via Unsplash