Schoolgirl reports Christmas rape

Police are investigating the rape of a 14-year-old girl who did not report the attack because she did not want to ruin her family's Christmas.

The teenager was attacked by three youths on Christmas Eve in Hattersley, Greater Manchester, as she walked home.

Police want to speak to a woman who was walking her dog nearby at the time.

Det Con Barbara Offord, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "The people who did this are little more than animals."

The attack took place at the back of Torkington Drive and Silverton Close at about 1700 GMT.

Witness appeal

"This poor schoolgirl was flung to the ground and raped by three youths," Det Con Offord said.

"She has had to live with this all over Christmas and New Year before telling us about it over this weekend.

"We can only imagine the horrors that have been replayed over and over in her mind since then.

"We now want the public's help. The victim told us she saw a woman walking her dog nearby, so we particularly want to hear from her."

The first youth was under 5ft tall, fat, dark-skinned and about 13 or 14-years-old. He was wearing a black tracksuit with the hood up and black woolly gloves.

The second man was aged about 18, 6ft tall and skinny and was wearing a grey jacket with the hood up and black tracksuit bottoms and a black scarf pulled up over half of his face.

The final attacker was aged 15 or 16, about 5ft tall with a skinny build. He wore a black tracksuit with white trainers and a black woollen balaclava.