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Police appeal for information and witnesses after a series of rapes in Manchester city centre

"We are here to listen to you, and are committed to obtaining justice."

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 14th August 2024

A public appeal for information and witnesses has been issued following a series of rapes which took place across Manchester city centre.

Detectives from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team who have been leading the investigations into the horrific incidents – which are said to have occurred in the city centre between February and July 2024 – have already arrested a man in his 40s, but are now calling on the wider public for further assistance.

Mourad Malki was arrested on suspicion of rape on Sunday 21 July 2024, and later charged with 12 offences committed against three males and one female.

GMP says these offences included multiple rapes, sexual assault, and theft.

It is believed that the 47-year-old had been primarily targeting intoxicated men, before raping them and taking their personal items.

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Malki is currently remanded in police custody awaiting trial.

Now, with the police investigation still ongoing, Detective Inspector Paul Davies, from GMP’s Major Incident Team, is appealing to the Greater Manchester public, to come forward if they witnessed anything or have any information.

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Police are appealing for information and witnesses after a series of rapes in Manchester city centre / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

“Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to those who have already come forward and provided their accounts, as they have shown unbelievable courage and bravery,” DI Davies said in his appeal.

“We are continuing to support them now and throughout the investigation.

“I would urge anyone out there who may have witnessed, been a victim of, or has any information in connection with these horrific offences to please come forward. We are here to listen to you, are committed to obtaining justice, and can assure the community that any report received will be thoroughly investigated and dealt with in a sensitive manner.

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“Myself and the team have been in communication with the community and local businesses, providing reassurance and necessary updates and we are also working with partners such as St Mary’s sexual assault referral centre, and independent male victim’s charity, We Are Survivors, to provide victims with the best possible support throughout this investigation”.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of rape or sexual assault, you are encouraged not to suffer in silence and report it to the police by either calling 101 or 999 in an emergency, reporting information and crimes on GMP’s website www.gmp.police.uk, or alternatively, reporting information anonymously to Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.

There’s also lots of other organisations and support agencies available across Greater Manchester and nationally that can help and provide support.

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You can visit GMP’s support pages to find the services available to you here.

Featured Image – GMP

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Onlookers ‘in tears’ after tiny duckling rescued from storm drain in beauty spot

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The RSPCA has shared a video of a tiny duckling being rescued from a storm drain

The RSPCA has shared a heartwarming video of a reunion between a tiny duckling and his mum, after the baby bird fell into a storm drain.

The charity, with the help of staff in the nearby Grandpa Greene’s Luxury Ice Cream Parlour, managed to fish the tiny bird out of the storm drain in a painstaking two-hour-long operation.

Miraculously, the duckling was unharmed, and his mum was waiting nearby on the canal in Saddleworth ready to be reunited with her baby.

The RSPCA has now thanked the staff member who helped rescue the duckling, and issued a warning to the public to keep dogs on a lead when near wildlife, believing the poor bird was chased by a dog before falling down the five-feet-high grid.

The rescue operation too place in Diggle last Wednesday 9 April, with Animal Rescue Officer Lee Ferrans taking on the ‘long and painstaking’ process of tempting the duckling into a net.     

Lee said: “I wasn’t able to lift the grid so the only thing I could do was push an extendable pole straight down and try to catch the duckling in a net. There wasn’t a lot of room for manoeuvre and the net kept catching on all the debris.

“Just when I thought I’d been successful, the duckling kept disappearing into a drain on one side and then popping out again. A member of staff from Grandpa Greene’s had just finished her shift and came across to the other side of the canal to help me. I unscrewed the top of the pole with the net and held it down on one side of the drain while she used another section to gently encourage the bird to go into the net.

“It was quite a long and painstaking rescue but we eventually managed to bring the little one back up safely after more than two hours.”

The pair then placed the duckling into a cardboard box before heading further up the canal to reunite them with their mother and six sibling ducklings.

The adult duck ‘instantly recognised’ the chirping and swam straight towards it.

Lee added: “A little crowd had gathered and as the family were reunited people were shedding tears. It was a really lovely moment to see them all back together.

“I’d especially like to thank the member of staff from Grandpa Greene’s who offered an extra pair of hands – I couldn’t have done it without her – and to all the people in the area who stopped and were concerned.

“Storm drains can be a bit of a menace for ducklings, especially at this time of the year when there are babies around, and this brood was only a few days old.”

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Featured image: RSPCA

News

Man jailed for throwing acid in the face of a 16-year-old boy

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Man jailed for throwing acid in the face of a 16-year-old boy

A man has been thrown behind bars for eight years and two months after throwing a corrosive substance over a 16-year-old boy, leaving him with serious injuries.

When Gilson Martins of Ashton Street, Rochdale, was arrested, he was found to be in possession of acid, being kept in a bottle of hair dye.

He pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of a corrosive substance, and witness intimidation, and was also sentenced for unrelated drugs offences in 2022.

On 24 March 2024, Martins plotted the attack on his 16-year-old victim, even demonstrating to another man how effective the acid would be by using it on a piece of paper.

The victim was then lured to an address in the Woodley area by an accomplice, where he was confronted by Martins.

When an altercation broke out, a corrosive substance was thrown over the teen.

He was taken to hospital with serious injuries which required intensive treatment at a specialist burns unit, with several more procedures taking place since.

When a man spoke to police about the acid attack, Martins attended his home and threatened to ‘stab him, throw acid on him, and carve his name’ into him.

The man in question barricaded himself in his bedroom while Martins knifed the door, fleeing shortly before police arrived.

He was arrested by armed officers on 10 April this year, where he was found with a bottle of hair dye.

Detective Constable Heather Parke, from GMP’s Stockport district, said: “The effects of attacks involving corrosive substances are well-known, and can result in severe, life-changing injuries or even death.

“Using them in attacks is utterly vile and I am glad Martins is now behind bars for his vicious assault. His victim received injuries from which he is still suffering, and has already received numerous treatments.

“We have zero tolerance for these sort of crimes, and we put considerable resources into ensuring that Martins was arrested, charged, and sentenced. He now has a long time to think about his actions inside a prison cell.”

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Featured image: GMP

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