A North East police boss vowed to do everything in her power to improve women's safety following a reported rape in a Newcastle city centre park.
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said female safety is a top priority for police and offered reassurance that action is being taken to address concerns raised by women. Her message comes following a "sickening" report of a woman being raped by an unknown man in Leazes Park.
The attack is said to have taken place in broad daylight in the vicinity of the basketball/tennis courts near the Leazes Crescent entrance on Friday, April 1, at around 6.30pm. Northumbria Police have launched an investigation to identify the person responsible and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
READ MORE: Police launch manhunt after woman raped in Newcastle's Leazes Park in broad daylight
The victim has been offered support by specially-trained officers and extra police patrols of the area are being carried out.
The attack is the latest in a series of reported rapes in Newcastle in recent months. On, Monday, March 28 a woman reported she had attacked in the Rising Sun Country Park, in Benton, at about 4.10pm near the Pit Heap area.
Another woman was reportedly raped behind Beech Hill Primary School, off Linhope Road in West Denton, at around 12.30am on October 10.
Following the latest attack, Ms McGuinness said: "Like every decent person I am sickened by recent reports and my thoughts are with the brave survivors.
"Such horrific ordeals, although extremely rare, only serve to highlight the importance of doing everything we possibly can to improve women’s safety everywhere. Women have the right to feel safe whatever they are doing; whether on the dance floor or walking through the park.
"And as a woman, I know and I understand the fears and concerns we all have - and we shouldn’t have them. Only recently I set up the Safer Parks Northumbria project to make this a top priority.
"We asked and listened to women’s concerns and started putting plans into place to address them - from improved lighting to social action events. The more we do to create safer, inclusive environments and change very wrong attitudes and behaviours, the better, and I will keep on with this fight."
Anyone who has any information on the incident at Leazes Park is asked to contact police via the Tell Us Something pages of the Northumbria Police website or contact 101 quoting reference NP-20220401-1038 or contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
