A brave schoolgirl helped police track down a sex offender by taking a photo of him after she managed to push him off during a horror attack. Alexandra Muresan was just 15 years old when she was assaulted by Nathan Rawson as she made her way to school in Leeds, West Yorks, in February 2019.
Fearing she would be 'killed or raped', the quick-thinking teen took pictures of the knife-wielding predator - which later helped authorities bring him to justice. The images, which show Rawson standing in a field on a misty winter morning, were circulated by West Yorkshire Police as part of an appeal - ultimately leading to his arrest.
Alexandra, now 19, has now received a police bravery award from her actions, which led to Rawson being sentenced to 13 years in prison. The hero teen said that while she was a ‘little bit scared’ to go out by herself following the attack, it has actually now ‘boosted her confidence’, the Mirror reports.
She said: “When he came towards me, I saw the handle of his knife and I just grabbed it and started pulling.
“There was just so much adrenaline - my whole body was shaking. I don’t know why - it’s what came to mind straight away and I just did it.
“I did rugby for two years, so I managed to get it off him eventually.”
Rawson forced Alexandra into a woodland area after grabbing her by the waist and threatening her with a knife. The teen said her instincts to fight suddenly kicked in and she was able to snatch the knife from him, slicing her hand in the process.
She then took out her phone and snapped pictures of Rawson before he fled the scene, at which point Alexandra called an ambulance for her injured hand. The images she took helped officers identify Rawson, who was given an extended sentence of 13 years and eight months at Leeds Crown Court last May.
He pleaded guilty to kidnapping, wounding, possession of an offensive weapon and two unrelated counts of burglary. Rawson also has a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a woman during a similar offence committed in February 2016, when he followed his victim through the streets.
Alexandra said: “I don’t even know how to describe how I felt after it happened. It’s not really something you experience every day.
“My mum and dad were obviously really worried about me, but they did everything they could to help. They wanted to take me to therapy, but I’m not the kind of person to talk a lot and go to therapy.
“At first, I was a little bit scared to go out by myself, but at the same time, as I grew older, it kind of boosted my confidence.”
Alexandra received her certificate of bravery from West Yorkshire Police in the Leeds District Awards. She said: “It was a nice night - but it was nerve-wracking, because you had to go onstage and collect your award in front of everyone.”
Her certificate read: “In recognition of your brave actions on 15th February 2019 when confronted by a male who attempted to abduct you at knifepoint. You managed to disarm the man despite sustaining a knife wound and obtained images of him on your phone which led to the swift apprehension of the offender.”
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