Video of rapist carrying victim to scene of attack released by police

West Yorkshire Police released the footage in the hope of catching the man

West Yorkshire Police have released shocking footage of the moment a rape victim is carried off by a man in Leeds.

The publication of the footage comes as part of a renewed appeal to find the man who attacked a 24-year-old woman around 5am on Friday, August 14th.

The victim had been attempting to find a taxi home after a night out when a man approached her, began walking alongside her and then picked her up in his arms before carrying her to the scene of the attack nearby, police say.

The man in the footage can be seen in a car park at around 4:40 am before approaching a woman at 4:45 am.

Detective Superintendent Pat Twiggs, Head of Crime for Leeds District, said: “The footage of the victim being carried off by this man clearly makes for disturbing viewing. We gave very careful consideration to releasing it and secured the consent of the victim who has been left understandably traumatised by what this man did to her.

“The other footage we have released shows this man walking around Leeds city centre and we strongly believe he has been looking for someone to attack before he focuses on the victim.

The man was described as black, aged 30 to 40, tall and with a shaved head. He was wearing a long black overcoat and black trousers.