A seventeen-year-old boy has been sentenced after being found guilty of a series of sexual assaults, two thefts and a robbery in South Norwood Country Park.
The boy, who cannot be named, was yesterday (Thursday, October 31) handed a twelve-month youth rehabilitation order, and a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.
He will be unable to go to any open spaces – including parks – unaccompanied.
Four women were sexually assaulted, with some also robbed, while walking their dogs in the park between May 3 and July 21 of this year.
The women, aged between 45 and 63, were all alone when they were attacked.
The teenager was arrested at his home address On Monday, July 1, after officers identified him from an extensive trawl through CCTV footage.
A sim card registered to him was also found to have been used in a phone stolen from one of his victims.
The investigation was led by Detective Constable Kathlyn Stanley-Quist, who paid tribute to the victims for bravely reliving their experiences during the trial at Wimbledon Youth Court in October.
“The defendant in this case brazenly targeted women who were alone in a park they used regularly – a community space in which they should have felt safe,” she said.
“These victims were left traumatised by these attacks and have had to relive their experiences again during this trial.
“This was a complex and fast-moving investigation in which the team trawled through hours of CCTV; this ultimately led to the identification of the victim.
“We are also grateful to those members of the public who assisted us in identifying and locating the defendant so quickly.
“We hope this conviction brings the victims in this case some form of closure and demonstrates our commitment to getting dangerous individuals off the streets of London.”
A series of sexual assaults, two thefts and a robbery and he gets 12 month youth rehabilitation order and a 12 month sexual harm prevention order.
What is happening to justice ? What about the victims ? He is 17 and in 12 months he can just carry on as usual …and he cant even be named .
All that time and money spend and for what ? Crime certainly pays in 21st century Southwark
A complete and total disgrace