A cold case operation has been launched to find a man who raped a woman in Watford more than three decades ago.
The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Major Crime Unit has re-opened the investigation with the hope of finding justice for the victim, by using the unusual tactic of familial DNA searching.
The crime occurred in the nursing accommodation at Watford General Hospital on April 16, 1991.
Police understand that the offender broke into the victim’s room by climbing onto a first-floor flat roof and entering through a window which had been left ajar. He then threatened to kill the victim, a student nurse who was in her early 30s at the time of the incident, before raping her.
The perpetrator is then believed to have made off in the direction of Cassiobury Drive via undergrowth and a wooded area,
The offender was described at the time as being a white man, around 5ft 8in to 6ft tall, aged in his late 20s to early 30s (he would likely be aged in his mid-50s to mid-60s today), dressed in a long-sleeved grey jumper that had a distinctive red and blue diamond pattern on it.
He was also reported to have been in possession of a knife with a white handle.
Detective Inspector Caeva Taylor, from the BCH Major Crime Unit, is the Senior Investigating Officer in the case.
She said: “A sample of DNA was taken from the crime scene in 1991, and it was uploaded it to the national DNA Database, but to date we have not found an exact match.
“We never give up on cases like these, and we’re now trying a new approach known as familial searching.
“Officers from the BCH Major Crime Unit are speaking with people who we know have a similar DNA barcode to the perpetrator. It’s important to stress that these people are not suspects but it is hoped that they may be able to lead us to the offender – in other words, they may be related to him.
“The DNA searches we are carrying out will only be used in relation to this crime and the police are not allowed or able to use it to assist with other investigations.”
DI Taylor added: “I want to take this opportunity to appeal to anyone who either worked or lived in the area around Watford General Hospital, or Cassiobury Drive, in April 1991.
“If you recognise the description of the offender or know any information that may assist with our ongoing investigation, please contact us.”
You can watch familial DNA expert Geneticist Turi King of The University of Bath explain more about why familial DNA could be the key to solving this crime and bringing justice to the victim.
If you have information, you can report online at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in the Force Communications Room via the online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101, quoting Op Otterington.
Alternatively, you can stay 100 per cent anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org
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