States police are investigating the alleged ‘stranger rape’, which is said to have taken place in the early hours of yesterday morning at St Luke’s Church.
Authorities issued a witness appeal yesterday afternoon, calling for anyone who may have seen two people in the Georgetown Co-op car park, or surrounding area, between 2 am and 3 am on Monday.
The alleged attack was described as a ‘very rare’ occurrence in Jersey by Detective Inspector Steve Langford, who is leading the investigation.
The 34-year-old under arrest is said to be helping police with their inquiries.
Det Insp Langford said that the young woman had left a nightclub before being ‘confronted and befriended’ by her alleged attacker while in Georgetown.
He added that no weapon was used in the alleged incident and added that the victim, who is being supported by a sexual offence liaison officer, had been seen by a police medical examiner.
Speaking to the JEP yesterday afternoon, Det Insp Langford said: ‘We are treating this as a stranger rape.
‘The victim was walking away from a nightclub and was confronted and befriended by a man in the area of Georgetown.
He then took her into the grounds of St Luke’s Church.
‘As part of our investigation we are looking at a number of CCTV lines of inquiry, not only for that area, but other areas of town where we know the victim had come from.
‘It’s very unusual for Jersey and we want to send out reassurance that these types of attack are not very common in the Island.’
Det Insp Langford explained that a special team of four detectives had been set up to handle the investigation.
He said that officers would be investigating the alleged crime scene and also reviewing mobile-phone data as part of the operation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigating team directly on 612248, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800555111.
