A young woman who was s exually assaulted as a child in a Glasgow park is pleading for better CCTV to be installed so other women and girls are kept safe after another attack took place there as recently as last week.
Brave Amy Carr, 24, was just nine-years-old when she was indecently assaulted by a 16-year-old boy in Springburn Park on her way home from school in September 2007.
The hellish ordeal destroyed the life of the "happy-go-lucky" wee girl and 15 years later, Amy continues to suffer from affects of the trauma.
Hearing about the latest attack on a woman in the park, which took place on August 22, triggered "flashbacks" for Amy, who is now bravely waiving her right to anonymity and speaking up to ask authorities to take action to stop women being put in danger in the area.
Speaking to the Record, Amy, from Glasgow, said: "I've had flashbacks to what happened to me since I heard what happened in the park on Monday and I've been left feeling desperate that nothing has happened to keep other women safe in the 15 years since this happened to me.
"There's been a lot of assaults in the park and I know it's a place some people avoid. It's not necessarily happening at night. I was attacked during the day the most recent one happened in the afternoon.
"I think predators would be put off if there was more CCTV."
Amy has now launched a petition in attempt to put pressure on Glasgow City Council to install more cameras in the park.
Recalling her own ordeal, she said: "I was just walking home from school at about 3.15pm in the afternoon and I always went through Springburn Park because it was just a couple of minutes from my home.
"Then I noticed I was being followed by a boy. He stopped me and starting asking me questions. Then he grabbed my school bag from behind and pushed me into the bushes.
"I tried to scream for help but he covered my mouth so none could hear me. He assaulted me for about 10 or 15 minutes. When he was done he got up and I managed to pull my trousers up then run away to the swings.
"I managed to get out of the park and I ran home and told my mum. She called the police straight away.
"I gave a good description to the police and they knew who he was, but he wasn't caught for two weeks because he went into hiding."
Amy's teenage attacker John Aitchison was jailed for four years at Edinburgh High Court in 2008 and put on licence for a further three years.
Lord Kinclaven described the attack as "very serious" before placing Aitchison on the sex offenders' register ruling he should never be allowed to work with children.
The court heard at the time that terrified Amy had been left with a fear of red-haired men and refused to play outdoors alone. That trauma continued into adolescence and adulthood.
Amy added: "I suffer from PTSD, I have self-harmed and I still attend appointments with my psychiatrist. I am on a lot of medication and I take antipsychotics at night to help me sleep.
"I was once a very happy-go-lucky wee girl. But it affected my schooling and it took me a year and a half to get back to part-time education.
"I have never been in a relationship either, because of what happened that day. It took my whole life away."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said "Around 4pm on Monday, 22 August, 2022, police received a report of the sexual assault of a woman in Springburn Park, Glasgow.
"Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances."
A spokesman for the council said: “We are aware of the recent incident in Springburn Park and we are sorry to learn of Ms Carr’s previous ordeal.
“There are currently 2 CCTV cameras located in Springburn Park to support efforts to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
“However, we will engage with Police Scotland to help develop a detailed understanding of anti-social behaviour at the park, which will assist any consideration of whether to extend the camera network.
“Anyone who experiences anti-social in the park should always report incidents to the police so that agencies can respond effectively and identify those responsible.”
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