From Kent on Sunday -

Railway workers could help cops find sex attackers 

Two teenagers are being hunted by police after a terrified woman was sexually assaulted in a play area in Gillingham.The suspects, both white, 5ft 7ins and aged between 18 and 19, allegedly attacked the 23-year-old victim in Cobham Rise between 3am and 4am on Sunday March 2.

One man was said to be very slim with short blond spiky hair. He had two gold studs in his right ear and was wearing a white, short-sleeved checked shirt and brown trousers.

The other man is also slim with short dark hair.  He was wearing a black coat and blue jeans.

Detective Sergeant Dan Smith, who is leading the investigation, said: “Someone may have seen something suspicious in the area at the time the incident occurred that could help us with this investigation.

“I am particularly keen to speak with three railway staff who were working on the track adjacent to the playing area, and may have witnessed the offence.

“We do not believe the men were involved in the crime in any way.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call DS Smith on 01634 792411 or CrimeStoppers free and anonymously on 0800 555111.

It goes without saying that my sympathies and best wishes are with this woman at this moment in time, and I hope the police are able to locate and arrest the two men who sexually assaulted her. 

On a side note, I deliberately chose the title of this post to reflect the active participation of those who actually perpetrated the crime. Too often when the media reports rape or sexual assault they use the passive “woman raped/sexually assaulted” as if “rape” is an accidental occurrence that typically involves only one party – the victim.

Language is a powerful tool in shaping the way in which we view our society, particularly when it comes to discussing acts of violence against oppressed groups. I feel that we as a society need to consciously make a decision to begin describing sexual violence as something perpetrated by a person on another person, so that we may make some headway in shaming and identifying the rapist rather than the victim. As well as sympathising with the woman we need to vocalise the crime as a violent act perpetrated by a violent, active agent (or two in this case) on another human being.