‘The person you least suspect’

Police are looking for ‘the person you least suspect’ after linking two attacks on young women in the South West of Edinburgh over five years ago.

On Thursday, 27 August, 2015, a 19-year-old woman got off a bus in Lanark Road West shortly after midnight.

A man approached her in the Newmills Road area and claimed he had a knife. He then led her to a nearby field, where she was raped.

Just over three weeks before on Wednesday, 5 August, 2015, a 21-year-old woman was grabbed from behind and sexually assaulted in Craiglockhart Quadrant.

She got off a bus in Colinton Road shortly before the attack around 10.30pm. The man responsible had not been on either bus. 

DNA advancements have enabled investigators to establish that both attacks were carried out by the same person. Police have a full DNA profile for the man responsible but need the public’s help to find him.

Detectives are asking people to think back to August, 2015. At that time, Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe was taking place. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s theme was East Meets West and marked the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

Detective Inspector Jon Pleasance of Edinburgh Police Division said: “We believe we’re looking for the person you’d least suspect; someone whose community wouldn’t think is responsible for such horrific offences.

“We’re asking everyone, please think back to the summer of 2015. Was there someone in your life – a friend, family member or colleague – acting different? Was their behaviour around this time at all unusual for them?

“Don’t dismiss your concerns, no matter how small they seem. We have a full DNA profile of the person responsible and so can quickly and completely rule people out. Help us find who did this.”

Those with information can contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 0770 of 1 March, 2021, or pass tips anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.