15-year-old girl kidnapped and sexually assaulted

Date published: 10/10/2005

Two men have been arrested after a 15-year-old girl was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in Rochdale on Saturday morning, 8 October 2005.

At some time between 1.30am and 2.30am the girl was on Yorkshire Street in Rochdale when she was approached by two men. They forced her into a car, a dark blue or black old style Toyota, and drove away.

They then pulled up outside of a restaurant and one of the men got out and bought a bottle of vodka. The girl tried to escape from the car but was prevented from doing so and was hit in the face. The doors were then locked to stop the girl leaving the car.

The men then drove onto the moors where they held the girl for several hours and subjected her to a serious sexual assault.

When the girl finally managed to escape she wandered towards Syke where she came across a woman walking her dog, who contacted the police.

A 30-year-old man from Rochdale and a 31-year-old man from Rochdale were arrested on suspicion of kidnap, false imprisonment, and sexual assault. They have been bailed until 21 November 2005 pending further enquiries.

General safety advice from GMP:

• Don't take short cuts.
• Stick to well lit, well used routes. You will be safest in bright, well lit and busy areas.
• Try to walk in groups.
• If you are alone, try to look confident - look like you know where you are going and walk tall.
• Avoid walking next to bushes and buildings, keep as close to the kerb as possible and face oncoming traffic.
• Do not hitch hike.
• You can use reasonable force in self-defence. You are allowed to protect yourself with something you are carrying (e.g keys or a can of deodorant), but you may not carry a weapon.
• If you decide to try and defend yourself be aware that your attacker might be stronger than you, or may take what you are using in self-defence and use it against you. It is better to shout loudly or scream and run away.
• When out walking or jogging, you should not listen to a personal stereo through headphones, so you can stay more alert to your surroundings.