Meadows rapist convicted after attack on teenager

Steven Davidson, the man who raped a 19 year-old girl in November 2014 in the Meadows, has been found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Davidson, from Gorebridge, Midlothian, will be sentenced next month after a risk assessment report is filed, and is expected to serve a lengthy sentence, according to Judge Lady Stacey.

The 19-year-old girl had been coming home from a party on 15th November at 7am. While on her way back, she was assaulted and raped by the 24 year-old Scot. Neither are claimed to have known each other previously.

He approached her from behind, she passed out and woke up with him on top of her. The alarm was eventually raised by a member of the public.

Davidson denied the charge in court, but was arrested and convicted following identification from DNA samples. He also told a custody officer he was: “Sorry for everything he had done.”

Davidson has also since admitted to another charge of selling cannabis in and around Edinburgh.

The sex attack increased calls by University of Edinburgh students to improve security around the Meadows and central campus.

Speaking to the BBC, Judge Lady Stacy said: “Given the nature of your previous convictions for drugs and, I have decided to obtain a risk assessment in case you pose a danger to the public. I will defer sentence for reports.”

Also speaking to the BBC, Detective Chief Inspector Alwyn Bell said: “The despicable acts carried out by Steven Davidson brought tremendous distress to his victim.

“This was a horrendous ordeal for anyone to go through and I hope the judgement passed down by the court today brings some sense of closure to the woman and her family.

“Offences of a sexual nature are among the most abhorrent crimes that can be carried out on someone and we treat all such reports with the utmost seriousness.

“Police Scotland is committed to thoroughly investigating all reports of sexual offences irrespective of when they are carried out.”

The conviction follows a recent Freedom of Information request where it was revealed an assault happens almost every two weeks in the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links.