Mum of Doncaster sex assault victim calls for more security after park attack

The woman was assaulted in broad daylight on Town Fields last week and is now recovering from her ordeal as the hunt for her attacker goes on.

Her upset mother is now calling for extra security cameras and police patrols on the field, which has been the scene of a number of sexual assaults and rapes in recent years.

She said: "Women and young people have been attacked and raped in this area for many years and it is still going on.

"The council do nothing to make it safer – it needs extra cameras and extra lighting.

"It seems like nobody is at all bothered. It is a high risk area and there’s schools nearby as well.

"There will be more attacks for sure. One day something devastating is going to happen on there.”

Both Hall Cross Academy and Town Field Primary border onto Town Field and last week, a 38-year-old man was arrested by police for “aggressive” threats made to others near the school.

His arrest came just a few days after the woman was assaulted as she walked her dog on Town Fields at around 11.40am on February 21.

Her mum added: “There’s two schools nearby and attacks are happening every year.

"I don't know how many of the attackers are caught or even go to court. No one seems to be batting an eyelid."

The huge expanse of grassland borders Doncaster’s red light district and in 2008 28-year-old sex worker Cheryl Camm was found beaten to death in a subway under Thorne Road.

Kieran Blackwell, 18, of Manse Close, Cantley was jailed for at least 11 and a half years in 2009 for her murder.

The mum of the latest attack victim said her daughter had been “traumatised” by the attack and was now too scared to return to the field to walk her dog.

She said: “She is suffering from deep depression – walking her dog was a happy thing she did.

"But now it has ruined it for her

Police are still hunting her attacker and a South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “It is reported that around 11.40am on February 21, a woman was walking through Town Fields when she was approached and sexually assaulted by a man who wasn't known to her.

“The victim managed to escape and reported the incident to our officers when she returned home a short time later.

“Enquiries are ongoing our officers are working closely with the victim to offer appropriate support.”

The man is described as black, in his 30s, with an African accent and around 5ft 7ins tall.

He was wearing a black zipped hoody and dark trousers.

"If you have any information that could help our officers with their investigation into this sexual assault, please contact us by calling 101 and quoting incident number 370 of 21 February 2024.”

You can also submit information via the South Yorkshire Police online portal at http://www.southyorks.police.uk/contact-us/report-something/.

If you would prefer not to give your personal details, you can submit information anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. You can also reach them online by visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.