Girl, 13, 'raped while walking in woodland', as police arrest boy, 16, over attack
10 August 2022, 06:05
Police have arrested a teenage boy on suspicion of rape after a 13-year-old girl was assaulted in a woodland.
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The girl had been walking through a woodland area off Lane End in the Chapeltown, Sheffield, on Monday between 6.15pm and 6.45pm, when she a man approached her and reportedly attacked her.
The man was then said to have made off on foot.
Officers investigating the serious sexual assault have now arrested 16-year-old boy, who they say is known to the victim, on suspicion of rape of a female aged 16 or under and remains in police custody at this time.
The victim and her family continue to be supported by specially trained officers.
South Yorkshire Police Detective Superintendent Nikki Leach, from the Sheffield Command Team, said at the time of the attack: "This was a despicable attack on a teenage girl, and I know the community will be very concerned to hear what has happened. Please be assured we have been working around the clock since this was reported to us to piece together the events and identify who is responsible.
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"We are taking this incident extremely seriously and have a number of officers dedicated to the investigation. We are now appealing to anyone who may have been in the area or noticed anyone acting suspiciously to please get in touch.
"Our officers will also remain in the area throughout the day carrying out additional patrols. Please do not hesitate to speak to them if you have any concerns - they are there to support you and make you feel safe."
If you have any information that could help officers, please contact us using live chat, our online portal or by calling 101. Please quote incident number 899 of 8 August 2022.
Alternatively, you can pass on information anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers via their website – www.crimestoppers-uk.org – or by calling their UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111.
