Witnesses Sought In Historic Newcastle Rape

25 March 2015, 18:14 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Police investigating an historic rape of a young woman in Newcastle have now released CCTV images of two witnesses they want to trace.

The victim had been out in Newcastle city centre on the evening of Thursday 20th September 2012, when she chatted with two men she met in the City Vaults bar.

Police want to speak to these two men, it is believed these two men know each other and they are being sought as key witnesses.

Detective Inspector Grant Dawson said:
"We have made an earlier media appeal for these two men to come forward and carried out other efforts to locate them."

"Unfortunately, we have been unable to trace them so far, which is why it is now necessary for us to release photographs of the two men taken via CCTV at the City Vaults bar."

"We hope the men, or people who recognise them, will see these images and contact the police."

"Again we want to stress they are not suspects in this case, they chatted to the victim in the bar before the rape took place."

"The rape occurred later and at another location, in the Heaton area of Newcastle."

The woman left the premises at around 12.15am, in the early minutes of Friday, September 21.

She waited outside the bar and then left the area in a taxi, the rape then took place inside a private address in Heaton.

Police are appealing for these witnesses to come forward, and for anyone who recognises either man from the images, is asked to contact police on 101 ext 69191, quoting reference 304 21/09/12, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.