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Police are appealing for information after a woman was raped in Manchester city centre

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 26th October 2022

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has issued a public appeal for information after a woman was raped in Manchester city centre a few months back.

The police force is appealing for information and witnesses after officers received a report of a rape that happened on Granby Row in Manchester city centre on Saturday 13 August 2022 sometime between 2am and 5:45am.

The incident is reported to have happened on the benches at the Vimto Monument.

According to GMP, the victim – who is a woman in her 20s – was sat on the benches at the monument, before she was approached by an unknown male offender with short, dark hair who then carried out the attack.

Police also confirmed that a member of the public disturbed the offender during the incident, which caused him to run away from the scene.

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Speaking more on the distressing situation, and issuing the public appeal, Detective Inspector Mark Astbury, from GMPs City of Manchester District, said: “Since August, we have followed up on a number of enquiries and we now need the public’s help to identify this man.

“It is believed that a member of the public disturbed the offender during the incident causing him to run away.  If you are this person, please do get in touch with us, as you may be able to help our investigation.

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“Our specialist officers are supporting the victim and we will do all we can to make sure the offender faces justice.”

Police are appealing for information after a woman was raped in Manchester city centre / Credit: GMP

Greater Manchester Police says it appreciates the description of the offender that has been given is very limited, however, officers are hoping that someone may have witnessed the incident or may have information that can help them with the ongoing investigation.

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DI Astbury is asking that anyone who was in the area of Granby Row between 2am and 5:45am on that evening, or has any CCTV footage or information regarding this incident, to contact GMP on 0161 856 6049 quoting log 785 of 13/08/2022.

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Alternatively, you can report information anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Featured Image – Google Maps

News

New endometriosis pill helping hundreds of women with ‘debilitating’ condition to be made available on NHS

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A groundbreaking new pill to help women with a ‘debilitating’ condition is set to be made available on the NHS.

The new daily pill for endometriosis – which has been approved for use on the NHS in England by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) – is called linzagolix, and will be available for those who have had previous treatment for endometriosis, working to manage any symptoms they may be experiencing.

Around 1.5 million women in the UK are thought to be currently living with endometriosis.

Endometriosis can cause chronic pain, heavy periods, and extreme tiredness when tissue similar to the womb lining grows elsewhere in the body.

As mentioned, linzagolix will be available specifically for patients whose previous medical or surgical treatments for endometriosis have been unsuccessful, and will be given alongside ‘add-back’ hormone therapy – which involves using low-dose hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to prevent menopause-like symptoms and bone loss.

This is the second take-at-home treatment to be approved to treat endometriosis on the NHS, and it’s thought that more than 1,000 women will benefit.

In clinical trials, linzagolix was shown to be successful in reducing painful periods and non-menstrual pelvic pain, compared with placebo, hence why it has been approved on the NHS by NICE.

“This is welcome news for women with endometriosis who haven’t found relief from previous therapies or surgery,” commented Dr Sue Mann, who is the National Clinical Director in Women’s Health for NHS England.

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“It’s another treatment option which will help women take control of their health and better manage the symptoms of this often painful and debilitating condition.

“This is a testament to our ongoing commitment to improving treatment, care and quality of life for women.”

Featured Image – Heute

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Wigan woman jailed after hitting pedestrian in Fiat 500 while driving high on nitrous oxide ‘balloons’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Louisa Tunstall

A young woman from Wigan has been handed jail time after hitting a pedestrian while driving high on nitrous oxide.

Louisa Tunstall was driving a white Fiat 500 towards the East Lancashire Road in Wigan at around 7pm on Friday 24 May 2024 – a time when traffic conditions were said to be ‘quiet’ – but Tunstall was under the influence of a now-banned drug, nitrous oxide, at the time of the incident, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed.

While driving under the influence, 19-year-old Tunstall veered to the left onto the pavement and collided with a 51-year-old woman pedestrian.

After striking the woman, the car then overturned and, in the process, caused serious life-changing injuries.

When questioned by police, Tunstall stated that she ‘took her eyes off the road’ to retrieve something in the footwell before knowing the car had flipped, but she also confirmed that she had just been out to purchase nitrous oxide to use that evening.

After obtaining witness accounts, investigating officers were able to track down nearby CCTV footable which showed Tunstall inhaling nitrous oxide through a balloon whilst driving, seconds before the collision occurred.

Further investigation by GMP’s Forensic Vehicle Examination Unit examined the Fiat 500 and confirmed that no defects were found on the car to contribute towards the collision.

Still to this day, the victim says she is trying to recover from the injuries sustained to her leg that will prevent her from continuing life as she did before.

“The incident is still very raw when I think about it,” the victim explained in her impact statement released by GMP. “I become upset when I think at everything which has been taken away from me and the ongoing affect it has had and continues to have on my daily life.”

GMP says it’s seeing the use of nitrous oxide being a factor in incidents they attend increasing year on year.

Nitrous oxide, also known as ‘laughing gas’, is reported to produce euphoria, relaxation, dizziness, giggling or laughing fits, impaired judgement, and occasionally dissociation and hallucinations – which GMP says affects reaction time and and is ‘likely lead to impairment’ in driving performance, particularly when faced with an unexpected or hazardous situation.

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Tunstall appeared at Bolton Crown Court this week, and has been sentenced to one year and eight months imprisonment for having possession of a Class C drug, driving under the influence of drugs, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Alongside being jailed, she was also disqualified from driving for two years and eight months, and has been ordered to take an extended test when she is released.

Featured Image – GMP

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