UK Gang Rape-Plymouth England-February/January-1978

[jaejae]

Here is an interesting report about an appeal in a very nasty sounding case:

The 17-year-old was subjected to multiple rapes by several men at a hotel in Plymouth, Devon, in 1978.


Devon and Cornwall Police said the attackers were thought to be part of a rugby club visiting the port city from South Wales.

The offences took place on a Saturday in late January or early February in 1978 at the now closed Strathmore Hotel on Elliot Street.

The victim and her friend had been socialising in the Safari Club, now known as the Notte Inn, when they met a man who was believed to be in his twenties.

Police release e-fits over gang rape of teenager by touring rugby team

 

[jaejae]

Here is a BBC report about the case:

Woman gang raped 42 years ago wants justice

Here is part of the above report:

"Some men tried to force their way into the room," she said, adding the teacher tried to stop them but left after being overpowered by a number of men who entered the room.

Jane said the men were wearing only towels and lined up along a wall "as if on a rugby pitch". Terrified, she tried to reach for the hotel phone but was pinned down by three of the men.

"They were very strong and heavy and I could not breathe," she said.

"I gave in entirely to them. I knew that I needed to be compliant because they had already demonstrated to me that any attempt to resist was futile.

"They were drunk and brutal. I was raped in turn by about six or seven of the men while the other men cheered and encouraged them on."

 

[RobinCAL]

This is just awful!! I hope some justice comes of this

 

[jaejae]

Here is a report about this case from the Plymouth Herald:

'I was gang raped in a Plymouth hotel room as a 17-year-old child'

Here is a report from the Daily Mail:

Woman gang raped by up to seven 'drunk and brutal' rugby players in 1978 calls for justice | Daily Mail Online

A report from the Guardian:

Woman who was gang-raped at 17 tries to find witnesses after 40 years

A report from CNN:

These two men could answer an unsolved rape case from 1978 - CNN

 

[dotr]

Woman gang raped by up to seven 'drunk and brutal' rugby players in 1978 calls for justice | Daily Mail Online
rbbm.

Devon and Cornwall Police handout efit images of two men that detectives would like more information about in relation to a 1978

• The victim was subjected to a gang rape at a hotel in Plymouth in 1978
• Reported attack in 1993 but no suspects were found - then reported it in 2014
• Efits of two men have been released that may have been friends with the gang
• Police trying to track them down so they can help identify the rapists

''The victim said at the time, she felt the two men, who were not involved in the attack hadn't wanted the attack to have occurred.

'I feel that they could right that wrong by coming forward and telling the police who the people were that they were with on that day and therefore who the men were that raped me.

'I am saying to them, 40 years ago your team-mates and your friends raped me, allegiances change over those years and therefore it would be the right thing to do to come forward now.

'You may have had daughters, you may have granddaughters, you know what happened to me and you know that you hold the key to identifying those people who raped me.'

The offences took place on a Saturday in late January or early February in 1978 at the now closed Strathmore Hotel in Elliot Street in Plymouth

The two had gone to an establishment which was known as the Safari Club and the Notte Inn, it was here that the victim met a man who was part of a larger group, the BBC reported.

He soon asked her to go to his hotel room. He spoke to his friend and the two then walked to the now closed Strathmore Hotel.

The victim said they had consensual sex and that he had then started to tell her about his life, disclosing that he worked as a maths teacher, but that he was also part of a south Wales rugby team.

 

[Elainera]

The victim said they had consensual sex and that he had then started to tell her about his life, disclosing that he worked as a maths teacher, but that he was also part of a south Wales rugby team.

So police were never able to find that rugby team?

Aweful case. That poor woman. Glad to see so many news outlets covering the story now. I hope it leads to the identification and arrests of those brutal men.

 

[jaejae]

Here is an update about the recent appeal in this case from the BBC:

Police to investigate new 1978 gang rape leads

Another update this time from local news media:

New information after historic gang rape of Plymouth teen