Detectives have renewed the hunt for two men wanted in connection with the rape of a teenage girl in Bethnal Green, more than two years after the attack.
The pair were seen on Whitechapel Road on the night of the assault before the victim was led into nearby Weavers Fields, where she was raped at around 11.30pm on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
A fresh appeal issued through Met Engage, the Metropolitan Police’s community messaging network, tells local residents the two men “may be living or travelling within our local area” and urges anyone who recognises them to come forward.
The case was previously the subject of a renewed Met appeal marking two years since the attack, as detectives continue to pursue every available line of enquiry.
Officers have reviewed hours of CCTV footage, carried out forensic examinations and spoken to potential witnesses since the attack. Images of the two men captured on CCTV have been released again as part of the latest appeal.
Detective Chief Inspector Anna Deighton, who is leading the investigation, said: “This was an awful attack on a teenage girl who was targeted and subjected to sexual violence.”
“If you recognise the men in the CCTV we have released with this appeal, please come forward and speak to us,” she added. “If you have any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, it is vital you get in touch.”
Family says daughter ‘lives in fear’
The victim’s family has spoken of the devastating and lasting impact of the attack. In a statement issued through police, they said their daughter “continues to live in fear for her safety and no longer feels comfortable being on her own”.
“She should be enjoying her teenage years, spending time with friends, growing in confidence and looking forward to the future,” the family said.
“We are asking anyone who knows anything about what happened that night to come forward. Even the smallest piece of information could help provide answers and bring us a step closer to justice.”
£10,000 reward for information
The independent charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Crimestoppers is entirely independent of the police. Information can be given completely anonymously: callers are never asked for their name, calls are not recorded, and the charity says it has never revealed a caller’s identity.
Rewards of this size are reserved for cases where the charity believes a financial incentive could unlock information that might otherwise go unreported, and the sum on offer here underlines both the seriousness of the case and the length of time the men have remained unidentified.
What police are asking the public to do
Police are urging anyone who recognises the two men from the released CCTV images to contact them immediately.
Anyone who believes they have seen the men is advised to call 999 straight away, providing a description of the individuals, their location, details of any vehicles they may be using and their direction of travel. Members of the public are strongly advised not to attempt to detain them.
Anyone with information about the investigation can call police on 101, quoting reference 01/668295/24. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through its website.
Renewed appeals years after an offence are a deliberate investigative tactic: detectives hope that with the passage of time, loyalties may have shifted, relationships may have changed, or someone who stayed silent at the time may now be willing to talk. Circulating CCTV images again — including through neighbourhood channels such as Met Engage, which sends targeted alerts to residents and businesses around Whitechapel Road and Bethnal Green — has generated fresh leads in other long-running cases. The force has previously released CCTV in connection with other London investigations, including an appeal after a serious assault at Liverpool Street station and images released after a girl was sexually assaulted outside Vauxhall Tube station.
Victims of sexual offences are entitled to lifetime anonymity under the law, and publishing anything that could identify a victim is a criminal offence. London Streets will not publish any detail that could identify the victim in this case.
