DNA key to intruder rapist hunt

Police said the inquiry would be slow because of the age of the victim

Police investigating the rape of a young girl in her own home are searching for DNA evidence.

Forensic officers have continued to comb the house in Basildon, Essex, after the girl, aged under 10 years, was attacked at night by an intruder.

The victim, whose exact age cannot be revealed, has given a detailed description of the rapist.

On Saturday, police said CCTV footage of the town centre and railway station was being studied.

Five other children and the girl's mother, who were in the house at the time, are being interviewed.

Detectives described the rape, which happened between 2130 GMT Wednesday and 0800 GMT Thursday, as "every parent's nightmare".

I would appeal to the attacker to come forward now before things get any worse Chief Inspector Graham Carey

The attacker is described as a black man, aged 18 to 20, with dirty teeth, one of them being distinctively clean.

He is skinny and wore a grey top and loose ripped trousers, with a loop of chain down one side.

Police could find no obvious signs of a forced entry to the house and believe the attacker may have crept in an out unnoticed by the girl's mother and the other children.

On Friday, Chief Inspector Graham Carey said: "It is an horrendous incident for the family and for the victim and it is every parent's nightmare.

"As we have a unique situation with the location of the attack being the family home we will not, for legal reasons, be releasing the exact age of the girl.

"I would appeal to the attacker to come forward now before things get any worse.

"Extra officers will be patrolling and I would want to stress that this is an extremely unusual and rare incident which we are committing large numbers of resources to."