" ... Snr Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector John Jones, from the Northamptonshire Police Homicide and Major Crime team, said, "Our investigations have led us to believe that there was a group of men cruising around Northampton in vehicles in the early hours of August 1, but we have found no evidence that any offences were committed."

He said police would be taking "informal action" for wasting their time against a 15-year-old girl who claimed that the gang had tried to abduct her. They have asked prosecutors to consider possible charges on the same offence against an 18-year-old girl who claimed she had been abducted and raped by the gang ...

When the story broke in August that a gang of men was abducting and raping young women in Northampton, some British media gave prominence to claims by the alleged victims that the alleged rapists had South African accents.

The Times of London wrote on August 12 that the women were "abducted and raped in a tactic familiar in South Africa".

This marked "the arrival in Britain of a notorious South African violent crime known as 'jack rolling', where gangs of youths in cars blocked off streets and raped every woman caught in their net".


From the BBC, 10 August 2005:

"... On Wednesday detectives said they had had "very positive " leads from media appeals to trace their main suspects - three or more black men with South African accents.

"We are very pleased with the response to the media appeals and have now received a number of very positive leads to work on," said Det Chief Insp John Jones, who is leading the hunt ..."

Please see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/northamptonshire/4138908.stm

From The Times, 12 August 2005:

"Northamptonshire Police said yesterday that this was a tactic familiar in South Africa and lent further credence to the victims’ reports that the three men involved in the attacks were black and spoke with South African accents ..."

Please see: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1731763,00.html

Then see:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1802196,00.html

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,6119,2-7-1442_1809909,00.html

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=vn20051002084943755C275266

Warning: Non-Existent African Rapists On The Loose

No Problem!

Racist Reporting That Could Endanger African Lives? No Problem - I've Got One of These!