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18 years on, can cops finally catch the Laindon Rapist?
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| Recreation scenes from the Crimewatch TV reconstruction of the Laindon Rapist, which is being aired on BBC1 on Tuesday, June 24 |
AS THE two young actresses walked through the woodland they were prepared for the masked man waiting to jump out on them.
Eighteen years previously, the girls whose footsteps the actresses were tracing had no such warning when they were brutally raped in the same spot.
The actresses were taking part in a TV reconstruction 18 years after two 16 year olds were subjected to a terrifying knifepoint rape as they walked through the same woodland, in the Langdon Willow Park Nature Reserve, Lee Chapel Lane.
Their attacker - the serial sex beast - named the "Laindon Rapist" - carried out six attacks in the area during a two-year reign of terror, from 1990 to 1992.
The attacks, two indecent assaults and four rapes, led to a climate of fear in the local community. Women were advised not to walk alone, while detectives worked around the clock to find the serial rapist.
But despite an extensive investigation involving hundreds of officers, police failed to find their man and the hunt was scaled down in 1995. Police had a breakthrough in 2000, when advancements in DNA technology, not available at the time of the attacks, saw police able to make a definite link between two of the incidents.
But the profile failed to match any other criminals on the national DNA database and the Laindon Rapist continued to evade justice. Now, 18 years after the first attack, and following a cold case review, detectives have re-opened the investigation.
They are hoping fresh appeals for information, including reconstructions for BBC's Crimewatch television programme going out on Tuesday, June 24, will help jog memories, or prompt someone with key information to come forward.
The man leading the new investigation, Det Supt John Quinton, of the Brentwood major investigation team, said the attacker's victims still live in the shadow of their harrowing experiences.
He said: "The impact of the assaults on the girls was very severe and they still suffer from the results of the attacks."
Det Supt Quinton said officers have been working with forensic and geographic profilers - who build up a picture of criminals from their crimes and where they are committed.
He said: "Advancements in technology have enabled us to ascertain the same person was behind two of the incidents. But the other incidents are so similar in the way the girls were assaulted, we are confident one person committed all the offences."
Now, as at the time of the attacks, detectives still believe - because of the nature of the attacks - the Laindon Rapist's local knowledge was so strong he either lived or worked in the Laindon or Basildon area, or had strong links..
Det Supt Quinton is confident the reappeals will jog people's memories and believes someone with crucial information may now come forward. He added: "People living in the area may be suspicious of someone they lived with or knew but felt unable to come forward.
"But now, with the DNA, we are confident we can eliminate anybody who is not the offender."
At the time of the attacks the Laindon Rapist was described as white, in his twenties, about 6ft tall and stocky. He had short brown hair, a round face, moustache and wore a small hooped earring in one ear. In every attack he was armed with a craft knife and obscured his face by wearing a stocking.
Anyone with information about the sex attacks can contact the Brentwood major investigation team on 01277 262220.
1:30am Tuesday 17th June 2008
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