Balerno rape: Edinburgh police re-appeal for information five years on

A 19-year-old woman was attacked from behind, threatened and dragged into a nearby field.

Detectives in Edinburgh have renewed appeals for information from the public on the fifth anniversary of a notorious rape in Balerno.

On Thursday, August 27, 2015, a 19-year-old woman was walking home on Newmills Road, Balerno, at around 12:30am, when she was attacked from behind, threatened and dragged into a nearby field.

Police said she was subjected to a “distressing” serious sexual assault in a wooded area before her attacker fled the scene.

Detectives in Edinburgh have renewed appeals for information from the public on the fifth anniversary of a notorious rape in Balerno.

The incident was the second sex attack to take place in Capital in the space of 24 hours.

Police refused to reveal whether a weapon was used in the incident, but said the attacker was thought to have had an Edinburgh or English accent.

Officers said the victim did not require medical treatment after the attack.

Back in 2015, forensics experts combed the wooded area while officers conducted widespread door-to-door inquiries and trawled CCTV - to no avail.

Speaking on the fifth anniversary of the attack, Detective Inspector Jon Pleasance urged anyone with information to come forward.

He said: "This was a horrifying incident which has had a huge lasting effect on the life of the young victim and her family.

"We remain entirely committed to bringing the offender to justice and are again appealing to the public for any assistance they can offer to aid our investigation.

"Allegiances change over time. Did you have concerns or suspicions about the behaviour of a partner, loved one or friend at the time but were unwilling to share this with police at the time? Please come forward and help us now.

"I would also urge people in the local community to think back and let us know if you have any information which could be of use to our investigation.

"Even if your information seems small or insignificant I would ask you to come forward and let us make that assessment.

"Please call police on 101, quoting incident 0080 of 27/08/2015, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

A Message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to the Edinburgh Evening News online and enjoy unlimited access to trusted, fact-checked news and sport from Edinburgh and the Lothians. Visit https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director