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Key leads after pregnant rape victim’s appeal
Peter Dominiczak30.09.09
Police have been handed valuable leads following a television appeal in which a woman told of her ordeal when she was raped at gunpoint by a burglar while heavily pregnant.
The 33-year-old victim was two months from giving birth when masked raiders burst into her home and held a sawnoff shotgun to her partner's head.
She was told it was her “lucky day” by one of the men before she was subjected to a sexual assault which police described as “oral rape”.
Police received more than 20 calls, including some of “considerable value”, after the appeal on the BBC's Crimewatch last night.
They said they are convinced someone knows the
suspects shown on CCTV footage.
A source said the leads included a “couple of names”.
The woman was watching TV with her boyfriend on 14 May last year when the men struck. Her boyfriend, 39, was hit on the head and threatened with the shotgun as the gang demanded the keys to their Audi TT car.
The men took a phone, iPod, cash, debit cards and a laptop and then escaped in the Audi parked outside the couple's home in Finsbury Park.
The victim told of her ordeal last night as police offered a £20,000 reward to capture her attackers.
She said: “I remember telling him I was pregnant and begging him not to hurt me and I remember him telling me it was my lucky day. There was just so much racing through your head. I was so close to having my first baby and did not want anything to go wrong.”
She has since given birth to a healthy child, but said the attack had devastated her life.
The Met has only just given details of the attack as the victim was too traumatised to speak out at the time. They released images of three men caught on CCTV shortly before the attack whom they wish to question.
Police faced criticism today for not publicising the crime when it happened.
Former Commander John O'Connor said: “Thugs who do that sort of thing will have committed further crimes. You must put public safety first.”
The sex attacker is described as black, 6ft, aged 18 to 25 and stocky. He wore a black balaclava, black jacket and black tracksuit bottoms.
A second man was black or Asian, 5ft 6in and about 18. He had grey tracksuit bottoms, black trainers and a jacket with red sleeves.
The third man, who had the gun, was black, 5ft 10in, and between 18 and 22. He had burgundy tracksuit bottoms.
Reader views (6)
I watched Crimewatch last night and was disgusted by the rape of a heavily pregnant women. If you are a theif in Countries in the far east you get your hand chopped off. Why can't this Country give punishments like this? The man who did this is a disgrace to humanity.
- Natalie Buckfield, London
If the man had been able to fight back at the time and had injured or even killed the perpetrators in his house he probably would be in jail himself now. We live in a country where we are scared of people breaking into our homes... and then we are told we can only use reasonable force? What’s reasonable force? I don't know... by the time I had figured that out I might be dead or my wife raped. In this case the man had no chance being out numbered and unarmed. Should we be fearful that our own actions of protecting our families in our own home could result arrest?
- Paul B, London
Welcome to Nu Labours, Nu Society.
Probably will only get some community service on a maternity ward under this government. If they get caught.
The easier and easier the Liberal-Lefties make it for vermin like this, the more and more I what the death penalty returned.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
If the police allowed the public access to CCTV footage in the area around the time of the attack I am sure they could be caught with clearer images of the suspects. The police don't have time for such painstaking work so let those who have do so. Maybe shotkeeps and those with CCTV should be made to upload it to a central website. If Google can do it with 'street view' then why not others in real-time.
- Jessica, london
I was on my lunch break when i came across the billboard with this headline and I'am absolutely sick to the stomach that someone could have the mentality to do this to a pregnant woman or otherwise. I'am utterly lost for words and I can't even imagine how this woman must be feeling - what was supposed to be a joyous occassion of her first baby will now be haunted by these vile men. My heart goes out to this couple and I hope they have all the support they need. Unfortunately we don't have tourture anymore for people like this - so i just hope someone brings them to justice.
- Jo, Kent
There is no real deterrent, and, the law is not respected, or feared! We get what we deserve, from a system we tolerate, devised by politicians/legistlators who live on a different planet from the rest of us!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
