Police are searching for two men who raped a 14-year-old girl in a car after abducting her on her way to school in Oxford.
Thames Valley police are appealing for witnesses after the victim was found at midday on Wednesday knocking on doors in the Marston area of the city.
Police said the girl was extremely traumatised by her ordeal and was unable to provide a description of her attackers, other than they were white men whom she did not know.
The victim raised the alarm after she was taken by the two men in the Summertown area and driven away in a silver car, possibly a Volkswagen hatchback.
Det Supt Chris Ward, head of the Thames Valley police major crime unit, said the girl was being supported by specialist officers. “It is taking quite a long time to tease the information from her,” he told a press conference in Kidlington.
“What we know is that our victim left her house and walked along the Banbury Road, towards the junction of Marston Ferry Lane. Shortly after that she has been abducted and then she sustained a very serious sexual assault … I believe this happened within the vehicle, so it is the vehicle that is the key to this.”
Ward appealed for witnesses, including those with dashboard or head cameras, who may have seen or recorded the men or the car between 8.10am and just before midday in north Oxford.
“The description of the suspects is very limited. All we are able to tell you is that they were white males,” Ward said. “People who were in that road between those times may have dash-cam footage, or cyclists may have head-cam footage. I would ask them to view that and see if there is anything in that that could assist us.
“The victim was wearing school uniform so should be quite distinctive.”
More officers have been deployed to the area to reassure the public, and police have advised children to walk to school in groups.
“We are not sure she was dragged into the vehicle. I think she was approached and possibly hugged. So it may be that somebody has seen something that looks relatively innocent but actually it wasn’t,” Ward said.
“This is a very, very, very unusual offence. It is important we do all we can to catch these people as quickly as possible.”
Supt Christian Bunt, the local policing commander for Oxford, said: “We are stepping up patrols in the area to provide reassurance, and there will be a very visible police presence while the investigation continues.
“I would ask parents to consider the safety of their children and, if they are walking to school, make sure they try to keep in groups. I would also ask people to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious.”
