Five held over alleged gang rape in Newcastle

Aug 22 2009 by Sophie Doughty, The Journal

FIVE suspects have been arrested by police investigating the alleged gang rape of a fun-loving reveller attacked in Newcastle city centre.

Four men and a teenage boy have been questioned in connection with the horrifying attack on the teenage clubber.

The 19-year-old was allegedly raped by three men after being picked-up outside the Liquid Envy Nightclub in Newcastle.

The suspects, two aged 19, two aged 18, and a 15-year-old were arrested on Thursday.

They are all from the Sunderland area.

Detectives from Newcastle CID launched a manhunt after the teenager was allegedly attacked during the early hours of last Friday morning.

The victim had been on a night out with friends but became separated from her pals.

She got into a silver car outside the club, on New Bridge Street, at around 3am.

The woman was driven onto Grainger Street, where two men left a second vehicle and got into the back seat with the teenager. The woman was then driven to a location somewhere near Shields Road in Newcastle’s East End where she was allegedly raped by three men.

Following the attack the terrified victim was driven to Denton Burn in the city’s West End where she was dumped.

Detectives released CCTV images of the cars in a bid to trace the attackers.

And the arrests were made after police received information from the public.

Det Insp Lee Buzzeo, of Newcastle CID, said: “We had a very good response from the public after we made the appeal.

“Rapes involving a number of people like this are thankfully very rare in Newcastle.

“What we are dealing with is a rape involving several offenders and we don’t come across these types of offences very often at all. Obviously something as serious as that would have been very traumatic for the victim and it is very unusual for this to happen in Newcastle.”

All the suspects have been questioned and released on bail until next month.