MANSFIELD: Sexual assault victim speaks out about her ordeal

Speaking exclusively to the Chad, the victim has described the terrifying ordeal, which took place while she was out walking her dog at around 9.10pm at the Epsom Street end of Racecourse Park on Saturday, 28th September.

The woman, who agreed to speak to the Chad anonymously, has taken the brave step in a bid to help police bring the vicious attacker to justice.

And in a new development she has described how she sunk her teeth into the hand of her assailant and screamed, in a frantic attempt to attract help.

“There was nothing about him that made me feel suspicious, or like he was the sort of person I should keep my distance from,” she said.

“He just came over to me and asked me for the time. He didn’t smell of alcohol or cigarettes and I thought he was just a young lad heading into town to meet his mates.

“Then he hit me, I don’t know how many times, but it was a lot and I was knocked to the floor. I was shouting to try and make someone hear and I managed to bite his hand or his fingers. But that’s when he put his hands around my neck and told me to shut up.

“I was shouting a lot and I just wanted him to get off and leave me alone. I kept thinking, why isn’t there anyone around when you need them to be?

“But there was nobody in the area at first. Then he dragged me off the path and onto a grassed area.

“I was wondering what had happened to my dog and whether he was alright, but then I remembered he was on his lead with me.”

A serious sexual assault then took place and the man ran away back towards Eakring Road, said the woman, who is still nursing a deep gash to her forehead and a black eye.

“I picked myself up and got on my mobile phone straight away to the police,” she said.

“I went the other way and I kept glancing back to see if he was coming after me, but he didn’t come back.

“He must have been covered in blood. From what he did to me, my blood would have been all over him, and there would have been bite marks on his hand or fingers, and he hit me repeatedly so there would have been grazing to his knuckles as well.”

Police rushed to the scene of the attack and the woman was taken to Kings Mill Hospital, where her injuries were treated.

But the emotional scars will take longer to heal, and she says she no longer goes to the park after dark following the attack.

“When I’m out driving I‘ve started locking the doors of my car and the house is always locked now,” she added.

“I’ve been back to the park but not when it’s dark and not near where it happened - even the thought of going back to that spot makes me feel physically sick.

“I’m a lot better now than I was a week ago, but there are times when I’m really not myself. I’d be lying if I said this hasn’t affected me, but I’m not prepared to let this ruin my life.

“I wonder how this man would feel if something like this had happened to his daughter, or to another female member of his family.

“This person needs to turn himself in and get himself sorted out.

“Whoever did this has issues which have made them what they are, and do what they did.

“If anyone suspects they know this person they need to contact the police. I can’t say what colour his hair or eyes are because his hood was pulled down so far over his face.

“But he must have gone home to someone with blood all over his clothes and a wound to his hand. Whoever this person is, he needs help.”

Anyone with information should call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 ext 8057761 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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