The Metropolitan Police has issued an urgent appeal for a woman to come forward after detectives identified what they believe to be a rape captured on CCTV in south London, in a case officers say has caused them serious concern for the victim’s safety.
The incident is reported to have taken place outside Gaumont Place, a residential development off Streatham High Road, at around 5.30am on Tuesday 12 May. It was not reported to the police at the time, and only came to officers’ attention the following day, when the footage was reviewed and the alarm was raised.
Specialist detectives have now launched a full investigation and are searching for a man described as black, of medium build and in his early 30s. The Met has released images of the suspect and is asking anyone who recognises him to make contact.
Detective Constable Charlie Codrington, who is leading the inquiry, made a direct appeal to the woman seen in the footage. “We know the woman in this footage will be scared, but we urge her to contact the police,” he said. “We are concerned for her wellbeing and officers are here to provide her with welfare, medical and trained support.”
He went on to describe the offence as a “horrifying incident which took place in broad daylight, close to a busy high street,” underlining the brazen nature of an attack that, according to the Met’s own statement, unfolded only yards from one of the capital’s most heavily trafficked thoroughfares.
The location is significant. Gaumont Place sits just off Streatham High Road, a major south London arterial route that runs from Tooting to Norbury and is lined with shops, restaurants and bus stops. The address shares its name with the now-demolished Streatham Gaumont, a former Art Deco cinema that became a local landmark before being knocked down in the 1960s. The site today is dominated by a modern residential building, while the surrounding streets are home to a mix of flats, takeaways and small businesses.
The Met has not yet publicly disclosed precisely how officers became aware of the attack, beyond confirming that it was identified through CCTV. According to reporting by LBC, which covered the appeal, specialist officers have been working in parallel with their inquiries to ensure that, should the victim come forward, immediate medical and emotional support can be made available.
Police have not given any indication that the woman and the suspect knew each other, nor have they confirmed how long the attack lasted. Officers have asked anyone in the area at the time, or anyone who may have seen the man pictured in the released images, to make contact as a matter of urgency.
The case lands at a politically sensitive moment for the Met, which has been under sustained pressure to improve its handling of violence against women and girls. The force has placed a renewed emphasis on early intervention and rapid identification of suspects in recent months, and Sir Mark Rowley, the Commissioner, has previously described tackling such offences as a “core mission” for the service. Recent operations have resulted in the swift convictions of several offenders, but cases in which the victim is unknown to police present particular challenges for investigators.
For the inquiry to progress, officers are clear that the priority is to reach the woman herself. Specialist sexual offences investigators are typically able to offer victims access to medical care, including forensic examinations, alongside trained welfare support and, where appropriate, referrals to longer-term services such as The Havens, the network of NHS sexual assault referral centres in London.
The Met has urged anyone with information to call 101, or to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, the public has been reminded to dial 999.
Officers stress that the woman seen in the footage will not face any judgment if she comes forward. As DC Codrington put it: officers are “here to provide her with welfare, medical and trained support” — and to begin the process of bringing the man responsible to justice.
