Police are searching for a man who may hold the key to snaring the person who raped a young woman in a historic Aberdeen park.
A forensic team carried out an inch-by-inch search of Union Terrace Gardens yesterday as the investigation into the “serious” sexual assault on a 21-year-old continued.
The popular space in the heart of the city was sealed off in the early hours of Thursday morning after police received a report that a woman had been attacked between 3-3.30am.
As the gardens eventually re-opened to the public yesterday afternoon, Detective Inspector Jacqui Campbell issued a description of a man who was seen walking in the area at the time of the incident – and urged him to come forward in the hope he saw or heard anything that can help.
He is described as black, of average build, with a flat-top hairstyle.
He was wearing black slim leg jeans at the time, a blue denim shirt or jacket and a blue T-shirt with white writing on it.
She also revealed his movements on the night to jog his memory.
“We are looking to trace this gentleman as we believe he was walking past the area when the assault happened,” said DI Campbell.
“We think he had walked along Union Terrace, then down the stairs at the side of His Majesty’s Theatre and along Donald’s Way onto Skene Street.
“He may have seen someone coming out of or walking away from Union Terrace Gardens or towards Woolmanhill Hospital.
“We’d ask anyone matching this description who was in the area at about 3.30am on Thursday morning to come forward and speak to us as he may have information which would help us find the person responsible for this assault.”
As daylight broke yesterday, a team began searching the park for a second day using rakes to scour the grounds of the sunken Victorian Garden.
From a black-clothed team of five officers who carried out an inch-by-inch search on the ground, to forensic investigators draped in white overalls, the area was
Three officers remained guarding each of the park’s entrances, with tape off the
Chief Inspector Graham Mackie, Area Commander, has assured people that incidents of this nature are rarely heard of in the city.
“I’d like to reassure the public that these types of incidents are unusual, however, we would encourage people to be vigilant,” he said.
If you are the witness police are looking for, or if you have any information that could help, contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 to remain anonymous.