Attacks on women Wood Vale [suspect charged]

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,2213349
I saw this on the East Dulwich forum and since Wood Vale borders Forest Hill I wanted to make other women aware.

It’s a long thread, and I’m not trying to minimise it’s importance, but it was one attack on one woman, wasn’t it? (So far, at least).

Further down the thread, one regular poster wrote this morning: “Two more attacks on Wood Vale yesterday apparently. Sounds like the same person.”
No confirmation of that claim, though.

Ah, I didn’t see that. But yeah, a post like that should really give a bit more explanation / substantiation.

Apparently there were two further attacks since the original post.
Even if it had been’only’ one attack I for one find it scary that someone could attempt to strangle and smash a woman’s head against a wall IN DAYLIGHT when she is in the company of her child ( who I think it said is 10 years old).
I am usually walking alone along Wood vale and adjacent streets as I’m sure are other women.
No police response that has been reported since original attack.
I felt it my duty to make other women aware of this and to stay alert.

I tried to make it clear I was just trying to establish/query if it was multiple events, not to minimise it’s importance. I guess I failed.

Thanks for posting this. I walk down Wood Vale every night about this time. I encountered this this man as I was turning into Wood Vale from London Road either Thursday or Friday. I remember thinking how odd it was having one air pod in. He was muttering away to himself but I thought perhaps he was on the phone to someone. I’ll be more aware of him next time.

Totally understand why you asked. I think it’s useful for people know, even if it’s an isolated incident. It might just make those walking along a little more alert if they are usually listening to music or on the phone (which I often am) as it usually feels fairly safe during the day.

Perhaps you could call 101 and give a description to the police and time you saw him etc as I think every scrap of information may help find him or locate cctv footage

I would if I could remember the exact day and time. All I can remember is seeing a chap fitting his description with the one air pod. I do that walk every day, I couldn’t tell you or the police what days I saw certain people.

Now that I know he is attacking women, if I see him again I will be sure to report it to 101.

Goose Green councillor James McCash has just posted this on the East Dulwich forum:
"A number of residents have contacted me and my fellow councillors about several seemingly connected incidents over recent days. We have been in contact with the police and they have just informed us that an arrest has been made and that they believe all the incidents were committed by this same man.

I hope that this is some reassurance. I will let you know if I receive any further information."

Thank you for the update.

Well I appreciate the warning whether it’s one person or three who have been victims. The first victim was strangled. That makes this pretty serious. Thank you for letting people know.

And to think I came home from being ‘out out’ for the first time last week, got off the bus in wood vale and walked all the way over forest hill to my side of the tracks without any concern, thinking how safe it was!

Dulwich Hill Police have tweeted news of an arrest

Based on the East Dulwich Forum discussion posted by the OP, the original victim seemed fairly certain it was a man who attacked her so this is an interesting development.

Yes the original attack was definitely described as being been committed by a Male attacker. I would assume that considering the attack was at close range and witnessed by her child she wouldn’t have got the gender wrong.
Worryingly there is a description of someone that matches that on he east Dulwich forum post here on this feed
I hope they have the right person or perhaps this is relating to other assaults that are unrelated to the attempted strangling.

This is truly awful. Poor victims. Someone should send this to the Daily Mail - the behaviour by the police is an absolute disgrace. How can they wait until Monday to investigate with a maniac on the loose attacking women? Especially with the uproar after the Sarah Everard attack.

Hmm that tweet is a bit strange. The poster on EDF clearly described a man. Are there two attackers?

Quote from the Southwark News article:

A 20 something year old man… (according to victim on edf).

I am not sure it would be helpful to speculate any further, but you are right the victim and the victim’s friend both talk about a young man in his twenties.

I was sure that the person I saw fitting that description was a man. However, I didn’t stop to get a good look so I could have been mistaken.

There was strong police presence on Wood Vale on Monday night, which was very reassuring. It is also very reassuring that they have made an arrest. I will still be very aware of my surroundings when on Wood Vale.

If a person is transgender, the police will refer to them as their preferred gender/pro-nouns, even if they haven’t legally transitioned or don’t ‘pass’ as the other sex.

That is something I hadn’t even considered and could explain it.

It was just so odd that the description of the eye witnesses - a man in his twenties was so different from the description of the person arrested - a woman in their 50s.

Anyway that aside I hope that the person responsible is no longer in the area to attack women.

I’m all for respecting how people identify and using correct gender pronouns, but if this is the case here - and we don’t know that is it - it might be more reassuring and less questionable if the police could issue a statement along the lines of “a suspect matching eye-witness descriptions has been arrested…”

I am pleased that patrols in the area have reportedly been increased.

This post was flagged and is temporarily hidden.

Maybe best not to speculate, in case it goes to a jury trial?

It’s not going down well on Dulwich Hill police’s Twitter feed:

I’m not remotely surprised by the replies. Will be very interesting to see what details come out next

Seems the victim is satisfied that the person in custody is the person who attacked her (per her last post on the ED forum), which is a relief to hear.

“Hi I was the lady who was attacked and can say that the person who attacked me is in custody. I would ask people not to speculate if possible as I have been advised by the police that it’s in judicial proceedings which I don’t want to jeopardise. Many thanks”

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,2214117

I think the transgender thing is being made more of an issue than it should be (if it’s even true) - the main thing is the person is behind bars. It would be different if the attacker was still on the loose, but in that case the police reports and warnings can only ever go by physical characteristics observed by the victim(s) and so this person would be (and was) described as a “man”.

What is more shocking to me is the police response to the first victim which, if true, may have caused 3 more women to be violently attacked on the same street - one with a knife.

Yep, the gender speculation is detracting from the real scandal here

Good morning everyone,

Apologies for not updating sooner. I can confirm that the individual was arrested and they appeared in court yesterday, the detectives who lead the investigation have linked the four incidents that occurred over the weekend and they have been charged with four offences. I will share what I can with you when I have further information. We have increased our patrols in the area for some added reassurance, PCSO Mccreery should also be around today, please say hello if you see us. I do not yet have an update with the outcome at court.

Kind regards,

PC Kemal

I think the problem was that because the victims and eyewitnesses had described the perpetrator as looking like a man and the police said they’d arrested a woman no one knew whether they needed to worry about whether the perpetrator was still at large.

But as you say the real point is that the 999 wasn’t responded to. I know the police have had such resourcing trouble that they can’t take action about burglaries, antisocial behaviour and car crime etc, but naively I had always assumed that if I was actually in danger and I called 999 they would come. I suppose at least I have more realistic expectations now.

It’s a shame because the initial victim said the perpetrator was still in the area that evening after the attack so if her calls had been responded to the person could have been identified and apprehended earlier.

Has s/he been caught yet? I need to go the supermarket and wondering whether I need to take a weapon!

If You have arrested the individual who committed these attacks WHY are you increasing patrols in the area over the weekend?
Talk about shutting the stable door when the horse has bolted!
And where was the police response when the first victim called 999 with the attacker still in her line of vision in the vicinity ?
3 other women were attacked because of the lack of police response.
We are not happy.
Women do not feel safe on the streets any more if this can happen in broad daylight with a witness and it took 3 days for the police to bother to get a statement from what I gather.

It’s not that long ago when there was that guy chasing people around being aggressive with an umbrella around FH/Kirkdale. These attacks in Woodvale are a particular concern to me though as attacking in broad daylight it is a very brave and confident thing to do, not exactly the same as preying on someone falling out of a nightclub drunk at 4am (not that that is acceptable, either).

Thanks for the reply but I cannot seem to make sense of anything I read that has been issued by the police. One lady was attacked with a child next to her if I am correct? Seems a very dangerous person to still be on the streets, and unclear whether it is safe to leave home alone as these attacks were in daylight. Can the police be clear about whether the person has been caught, and if so, why was the attacker a male, and then suddenly a 50+year old woman…

PC Kemal has made it pretty clear that a suspect has been arrested. The victim has confirmed on another forum that she believes the police have arrested the correct person.

Any other issues of difficulty identifying the individual should not be discussed on a public forum prior to a trial.

You should not carry a weapon when going to the supermarket, if you do you could be arrested.

It may be worth @ModTeam closing this thread since there are real legal proceedings.

This case likely falls under ‘sub judice’ rules where it is best not to publicly speculate in a way that could possibly prejudice active legal proceedings.

@PC_Kemal has stated there has been an arrest, charges bought, and a court appearance.
MPSDulwich have confirmed they are confident in having the right person in custody, while also appealing for further witnesses.

Discussion on wider issues of safety or police response may continue in new topics if desired, but please let’s leave this case here, whilst it is active.