Police reopen student nurse rape case 30 years later

Independent

19-03-2025

Police are renewing a hunt for a man who raped a woman in Watford more than three decades ago.
The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Major Crime Unit has re-opened the cold case, which happened in nursing accommodation at Watford General Hospital on 16 April 1991.
Police understand that the offender broke into the victim's room by climbing onto a first-floor flat roof and entering through a window which had been left ajar.
The perpetrator threatened to kill the victim, a student nurse who was in her early thirties at the time, before raping her.
The offender, described as a white man between 5 foot 8 and six foot tall who would now be in his mid-fifties, is believed to have made off in the direction of Cassiobury Drive via the undergrowth and wooded area.
He wore a long-sleeved grey jumper with a 'distinctive red and blue diamond pattern' on it and was in possession of a knife with a white handle.
Detective Inspector Caeva Taylor, senior investigating officer, said: 'A sample of DNA was taken from the crime scene in 1991, and it was uploaded it to the national DNA Database, but to date we have not found an exact match.
'We never give up on cases like these, and we're now trying a new approach known as familial searching.'
Officers are speaking to people with a similar DNA barcode to the perpetrator, but they stressed that these people were not suspects.
'They may be able to lead us to the offender – in other words, they may be related to him.'
The force added they were only carrying out these DNA searches for this crime and they weren't allowed to use it to assist with other investigations.
DI Taylor continued: 'I want to take this opportunity to appeal to anyone who either worked or lived in the area around Watford General Hospital, or Cassiobury Drive, in April 1991.
'If you recognise the description of the offender or know any information that may assist with our ongoing investigation, please contact us.'
Police asked that anyone with more information report it online or speak to an operator in their Force Communications Room via the online web chat.
People can also call the non-emergency number 101 and quote 'Op Otterington.'