Essex Road, Islington (No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
A man has been charged with attempted rape and intentional strangulation following an attack on a young woman in Islington in July, bringing a development in an investigation that had previously carried a £10,000 reward.
Robert Montiel Feo, 30, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged on Wednesday, 21 October with attempted rape, serious sexual assault and intentional strangulation.
The incident is reported to have happened at around 3.20am on Friday, 4 July. A 23-year-old woman was approached on Essex Road before being attacked on Church Road.
Detective chief inspector Paul Ridley, who is leading the investigation, said: “I want to thank the members of the public who have helped with this investigation over the previous few months. The victim continues to be supported by specialist officers, and the Met remains steadfast in its commitment to tackling violence against women and girls.”
Feo is due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.
A case that began with a public appeal
The charging decision marks a significant step in an investigation that had been running for months with limited leads. As London Streets reported on 20 October, police were offering a £10,000 reward for information leading to the attacker — a reflection of how difficult the case had proved to progress through conventional lines of inquiry.
Public appeals of this kind are typically used when detectives believe someone in the community holds a piece of information that could unlock the case. Ridley’s public thanks to members of the public suggests that people who came forward played a material role in bringing the investigation to this point.
What happens next
Feo’s first appearance at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court will be a brief procedural hearing. Cases involving attempted rape and serious sexual assault are indictable-only offences, meaning they are sent directly to the Crown Court, where a trial would follow if he enters a not guilty plea. Reporting restrictions will apply to the proceedings from this point.
The charging of a suspect does not change the fact that the victim continues to be supported by specialist officers, and the Metropolitan Police has stressed that anyone who experiences sexual violence can report it at any time — recent or historical — and will be taken seriously. Support is also available from independent charities regardless of whether a report is made to police.
The development comes as London’s violent crime figures remain under scrutiny — new figures show violence against the person rose 7.6 per cent in the year to September, with Westminster recording the highest rate per head of population.
