Police appeal after teenage woman raped in Brighton; witnesses sought
Investigators seek witnesses who may have interacted with the victim in central Brighton on Sept. 19 into Sept. 20, including an e-scooter rider and a woman who checked on the victim's welfare.
Sussex Police said a teenage woman was raped during a night out with friends in Brighton late Friday, Sept. 19, into the early hours of Saturday, Sept. 20. The assault is understood to have occurred in central Brighton, with investigators focusing on Queen's Road. The teenager cannot be identified for legal reasons and is receiving support from specially trained officers.
Detective Inspector Matt Stevens described the inquiry as fast-moving and complex, and said investigators are eager to trace people who may have interacted with the victim while she was in the city. In particular, officers want to speak with an e-scooter rider who was in the area and a woman who checked on the victim’s welfare.
Police are asking anyone with information to come forward online or by calling 101 and quoting serial 386 of 20/09. The inquiry is focusing on people who may have seen or spoken to the victim in Queen's Road late on Sept. 19 and into the early hours of Sept. 20 and who may have checked on her welfare in the centre of Brighton.
The investigation remains ongoing as detectives review CCTV footage, speak with witnesses, and gather other evidence from the night in question. Sussex Police have stressed the importance of information from anyone who was in the Queen's Road area during those hours, even if it seems minor at first glance.
Brighton, a seaside town known for its nightlife and busy seafront, draws large crowds on weekends, and police say such incidents are thoroughly investigated to ensure public safety. Anyone with information is urged to contact the force online or by telephone, and to reference serial 386 of 20/09.