Police are investigating the attempted rape of a 13-year-old girl who was attacked while walking to school in Worcester on Tuesday morning. The teenager was sexually assaulted at Nunnery Wood after being approached by a man at around 8.15am, and she managed to fight him off as he tried to rape her.
Suspect description and police response
The suspect is described as mixed race or Asian and between 16 and 18 years of age, West Mercia Police said. Ch Insp Dan Pilkington told the BBC that it was thought the suspect followed the girl "for a short time through the woods before he forced her into the trees."
The force said it was looking for a male seen wearing all-dark clothing and it was not believed the girl knew her attacker. Pilkington added: "We now know that the victim was a 13-year-old schoolgirl on her way to school that morning... The victim in this investigation remains our priority and is being supported by specially trained officers as we work to find the person responsible."
School and college safety guidance
The girl was walking along a footpath through the woods between the hospital and Nunnery Wood High School. The school said in a letter to parents that it would speak to students "about the incident and guidance about getting home."
It added: "They will be told to avoid the Nunnery Wood area, to stay on residential roads and to walk [or] cycle with others." Worcester Sixth Form College encouraged students to walk with friends where possible, stay on well-lit routes and report any suspicious behaviour to staff or police.
Ongoing investigation and appeal
In a statement issued by police, Pilkington said: "A significant number of officers were sent to the area and completed searches of woods and surrounding areas. Enquiries are ongoing to identify the suspect, who was described as mixed race or Asian, a teenager - believed to be between 16 and 18 years of age - and was wearing all black."
He added: "Officers will be continuing to carry out enquiries, collating CCTV to progress the investigation and will be providing a visible presence in the area. We thank local residents for their cooperation yesterday and extend our appreciation to the public for getting in contact with us and sharing our appeal."
The force urged anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference 78i of 10 November.
