Detectives are appealing for information to help them track down a man who attacked a woman at knifepoint as she walked her dog in Chingford.
Police received a report that between 15:30hrs and 16:30hrs on Monday, 20 July, a man approached a 25-year-old woman as she walked her dog in an alleyway beneath Ridgeway Park, Waltham Forest.
He cut her clothes with a knife, banged her head against a wall, and kicked her dog as he attempted to sexually assault her. The woman fought back and the suspect fled along the alley towards Chingford Avenue.
The woman has described the suspect as white, over 6ft tall, of slim build with bright blue eyes and brown eyebrows. He was wearing a black beanie hat, black pullover, grey shorts, black latex gloves and a black facemask.
Officers from the Met’s North East Safeguarding command investigate. Enquiries into the circumstances continue.
Detective Inspector Jeremy McDermott who leads the investigation said: “This was a cowardly attack by someone who was intent on hurting this woman, who had never seen him before. Despite the heart-stopping circumstances, she managed to fight back and force him to run away.
“Understandably, this incident is going to cause concern in the local community but please know that we are doing everything we can to find out who is responsible so we can hold them to account.
“However, we also need the public’s help. If you witnessed anything at all in the Ridgeway Park area, or the roads around the area, please get in contact. If you have CCTV of the area, I’d like to hear from you. No matter how small or insignificant you think it might be, please contact my team.
“We are working tirelessly, day and night, to identify and pursue offenders, help bring perpetrators to justice, support victims, engage and reassure the public, and keep our communities safe.”
A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape and released on bail to a date in August.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD5360/20JUL20.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.
