'Why did rapist get house in my street?' - Survivor's anger after brutal sex attack in Edinburgh home

A woman who survived a brutal sex attack in her own home from a neighbour who turned out be a high-risk serial rapist is demanding an apology from the authorities who housed him across the road from her.

David Reid forced his way into Lydia's home and threatened to 'slit her throat'

The woman, who the Evening News is calling Lydia, was raped by David Reid, a convicted sex attacker with a record stretching back 40 years after he forced his way into her home in October 2017 and threatened to “slit her throat”.

She is demanding an explanation for the “bizarre” housing decision made by a conglomerate of government bodies under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).

David Reid forced his way into Lydia's home and threatened to 'slit her throat'

“It was totally inappropriate to house him there,” she said. “It was inevitable somebody would be attacked.”

The street Reid was placed in houses small blocks of flats with no lock on the main door.

There is also a school and nursery nearby, which Lydia argued was “obviously going to be a risk” as there are many young women passing through with children.

“He should have been housed in a more urban, anonymous setting,” she said.

“Somewhere where each block had an entry phone system, and where there were more people about.

“I understand they’ve got to house him somewhere, but he should have been in a hostel where he was managed,” she added.

Reid was jailed for four years and three months at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this month, and given an Order of Lifelong Restriction which means he could be behind bars for the rest of his life.

After the verdict was returned Judge Lord Clark was told Reid’s previous convictions date back to 1978.

He was guilty of indecent assault and having sex with a girl aged between 13 and 16, and was jailed for ten years in 1998 for rape and attempted

rape.

Lord Clark said Reid had been deemed a “high risk” of committing similar crimes.

After Lydia’s ordeal an inquiry was launched by an external representative of MAPPA. Lydia has not yet seen the report.

“It [MAPPA] is supposed to be a joined-up process, but it’s clearly not working,” she said.

“I’d like them to acknowledge there have been failures and apologise to me. If they had not failed, I would not have been put in that situation.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We continue to work with local and national agencies to prevent offending and reoffending, and to ensure victims, as well as the wider community, are supported through the justice system and wider public services.”