Woman raped in graveyard on Halloween

Sussex Police say victim in 'distraught state and vulnerable condition'

Police said the assault occurred in a busy part of town next to a Tesco superstore (PA)

A woman has been raped in a graveyard on Halloween by a man who sat down next to her on a bench before launching an assault on her.

Sussex Police said the victim who was in her 50s was in a “distraught state and vulnerable condition” in the wake of the attack in Hove in East Sussex.

The incident took place at St Andrew’s Church graveyard on Church Road between 5.30pm and 6pm “as dusk was falling”.

Police said the assault occurred in a busy part of town next to a Tesco superstore and described the suspect as a white man in his 40s, 5’6”, of average build, with short grey hair and wearing jeans.

Officers said they had not managed to conduct a thorough interview with the victim due to her distress but noted specially trained police were helping her.

Detective Inspector Vickie Maroki, of Brighton’s Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: “We believe this to be an isolated incident but clearly we want to find out more as soon as we can.

“Anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in what is a a busy area is asked to contact Sussex Police without delay.”

Those can do so online or by phoning 101. Information can also be passed anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

For the majority of female victims of rape, the offender is a partner or ex-partner (45 per cent) or someone who was known to them other than as a partner or family member (38 per cent), according to the Office for National Statistics. Some 13 per cent of female victims reported the offender as a stranger.

Authorities were accused of “decriminalising” sex attacks last month after data demonstrated the proportion of reported rapes prosecuted in England and Wales has plunged to 1.4 per cent.

It came a month after the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was forced to defend its record as figures revealed rape convictions have plummeted despite record numbers of cases being reported to police.

Campaigners say prosecutors are failing rape victims “at every stage” and the CPS has changed its approach to how it deals with rape cases – arguing the service has started scrapping so-called “weak” cases to boost low rape conviction rates.

But the CPS - who has announced an independent review of its rape charging decisions - insists they have not changed their policy and has previously said figures were being pushed by a fall in referrals from the police.