PSNI Investigate South Belfast Rape

Detectives appealed for information on the 4th of February, following the allegations of a serious sex assault at Cameron Street in the Botanic area of South Belfast.

The 20-year-old woman told officers from the Rape Crime Unit that the man attacked her in Cameron Street shortly after 02:00 GMT on Tuesday the 4th, and described her attacker as a foreign national, wearing a blue top.

Alliance MLA for South Belfast, Anna Lo described the attack as “horrific. This was an appalling crime carried out by a despicable individual.”

Botanic is one of the most popular areas of residence amongst QUB students

Ms Lo, also described Botanic as an “area very popular with students and young people working in Belfast,” and urged those in the area, in particular young people and students, to be vigilant and careful following the incident  and do what they can to protect themselves.” Offering the advice: “When out, stick with a crowd and if alone, make sure you get a taxi, or stick to main roads and if you can, get a personal alarm.”

The Belfast Empire Music Hall at Cameron Street

South Belfast has a student population of more than 20,000, where the Botanic area is one of the busiest in the city due to its nightlife. While Ms Lo stated that such attacks in the area are rare, she also reflected on similar incidents in south Belfast in 2008, where there were more than 20 reports of sexual assault in a seven-month period, prompting a large awareness-raising campaign which included the distribution of rape alarms to female students.

The Queen’s University Belfast students’ union responded with safety advice and a major distribution effort to equip female students with rape alarms, while the police also stepped up patrols at that time.

James Ellison, third year Psychology student at Queen’s expressed the shock that has reverberated through the student population around Botanic after the incident; “I live with 6 girls and when we heard about it and how it happened in Botanic, no-one could believe it, it created a lot of fear within the female student population”