Batman rapist
Encyclopedia
The Batman rapist is an English serial sex offender
who has committed at least 17 attacks on women in the city of Bath, Somerset
. He is the subject of Britain's longest–running serial rape investigation, codenamed Operation Eagle, and has eluded capture since 1991. Detective Inspector
Paul James of Avon and Somerset Constabulary
, leading the operation, said it is "one of the most complicated and protracted investigations" that the force has ever undertaken. He was nicknamed after leaving a baseball cap bearing a logo from the Batman film series at the scene of one attack. Police believe that there are more victims who have never come forward. The independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers UK
have offered a £
10,000 reward for information leading to his capture. He has also been referred to in the news media as the "Riddler
".
area of the city, the exception being the abduction and rape of a 19-year-old woman in Kingswood
, near Bristol
in September 1996. His crimes usually take place during the darker winter months. He targets lone women who have just returned to their cars, abducting them at knifepoint before forcing them to drive to secluded areas in the south of the city where he then attacks them. He removes their underwear but then makes them put their tights
back on which he rips during the rape. When he found one victim was not wearing tights, he ordered her to put on a pair he had brought with him. After raping his victim, he often forces them to drive back to the area where he abducted them. He has attacked women of all ages, and in May 2000 attempted to carjack
a 26-year-old woman in Bath while her seven-year-old daughter was in the car.
In October 2000, to coincide with the end of British Summer Time
, Avon and Somerset Constabulary delivered leaflets to 25,000 homes in Bath - the biggest leaflet drop in the history of British criminal investigation - asking women to complete a checklist about friends, acquaintances, neighbours or relatives who might fit the profile of:
The rapist has long periods of apparent inactivity, including a three-year gap between October 1991 and November 1994, followed by a further two years of apparent inactivity until June 1996 Police suspect there have been other attacks during these lulls in activity, although a spokesman has said "Another possibility to explain the long gaps is that this is a man who comes to the area infrequently, possibly for work reasons." His attacks may also take place while the rapist is between relationships. His attacks are usually between 6pm and 8pm, "possibly on the way home from work", or between 1am and 3am, and he may have convictions for car crime "because of the ease with which he breaks into vehicles."
Crimewatch
program on 25 January 2000, including an appeal from Avon and Somerset Constabulary for information from the public. As a result of the appeal, six previously unknown victims came forward. Callers also gave the names of four potential suspects, including the son of a British diplomat
, and "dozens of calls were received from prostitutes and partners of people with similar sexual habits". Police believe that he was deliberately taunting them by carrying out two attacks on the evening after the television programme was aired.
used the Low Copy Number
(LCN) DNA profiling technique to isolate the rapist's DNA "fingerprint". They then began the process of taking swabs for comparison from all the men - believed to be around 2,000 individuals - whose names had come up during the course of the investigation.
who disappeared after a night out in Bath in June 1996 have not ruled out a connection with the rapist. He is known to have attempted to carjack a woman at knifepoint in the same area of the city a few hours before Hall was abducted, leaving his victim wounded when she fought back and managed to escape.
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
who has committed at least 17 attacks on women in the city of Bath, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. He is the subject of Britain's longest–running serial rape investigation, codenamed Operation Eagle, and has eluded capture since 1991. Detective Inspector
Inspector
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
Paul James of Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the territorial police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset, the city & county of Bristol and the unitary authorities of South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset; before 1996 these districts...
, leading the operation, said it is "one of the most complicated and protracted investigations" that the force has ever undertaken. He was nicknamed after leaving a baseball cap bearing a logo from the Batman film series at the scene of one attack. Police believe that there are more victims who have never come forward. The independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers UK
Crimestoppers UK
Crimestoppers UK is an independent crime-fighting charitable organization in the United Kingdom, based in the Wallington district of Surrey. Crimestoppers runs the 0800 555 111 phone number, allowing people to call anonymously to pass on information about crime. People can also pass on information...
have offered a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
10,000 reward for information leading to his capture. He has also been referred to in the news media as the "Riddler
Riddler
The Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....
".
Modus operandi
Police say that the rapist has a detailed geographical knowledge of Bath and operates in "a specific hunting ground". All but one of his crimes have taken place in Bath, usually in the BathwickBathwick
Bathwick is an electoral ward in the City of Bath, England, on the opposite bank of the River Avon to the historic city centre.Bathwick was part of the hundred of Bath Forum....
area of the city, the exception being the abduction and rape of a 19-year-old woman in Kingswood
Kingswood, South Gloucestershire
Kingswood is an urban area in South Gloucestershire, England, bordering the City of Bristol to the west. It is located on both sides of the A420 road, which connects Bristol and Chippenham and which forms the high street through the principal retail zone...
, near Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in September 1996. His crimes usually take place during the darker winter months. He targets lone women who have just returned to their cars, abducting them at knifepoint before forcing them to drive to secluded areas in the south of the city where he then attacks them. He removes their underwear but then makes them put their tights
Pantyhose
Pantyhose are sheer, close-fitting legwear, covering the wearer's body from the waist to the feet. Mostly considered to be a woman's and girl's garment, pantyhose appeared in the 1960s, and they provided a convenient alternative to stockings...
back on which he rips during the rape. When he found one victim was not wearing tights, he ordered her to put on a pair he had brought with him. After raping his victim, he often forces them to drive back to the area where he abducted them. He has attacked women of all ages, and in May 2000 attempted to carjack
Carjacking
Carjacking is a form of hijacking, where the crime is of stealing a motor vehicle and so also armed assault when the vehicle is occupied. Historically, such as in the rash of semi-trailer truck hijackings during the 1960s, the general term hijacking was used for that type of vehicle abduction,...
a 26-year-old woman in Bath while her seven-year-old daughter was in the car.
In October 2000, to coincide with the end of British Summer Time
British Summer Time
Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
, Avon and Somerset Constabulary delivered leaflets to 25,000 homes in Bath - the biggest leaflet drop in the history of British criminal investigation - asking women to complete a checklist about friends, acquaintances, neighbours or relatives who might fit the profile of:
- a white male;
- of slim or medium build;
- aged between 30 and 50;
- knows the Bath area well, and has some connection with Bristol, particularly the Kingswood area, and can drive a car;
- he has a tights fetish and he could get his sexual partner to wear tights which he may rip during intercourse;
- he sometimes wears a baseball cap;
- he has aroused suspicion with absences from home during the evening and early hours of the morning.
The rapist has long periods of apparent inactivity, including a three-year gap between October 1991 and November 1994, followed by a further two years of apparent inactivity until June 1996 Police suspect there have been other attacks during these lulls in activity, although a spokesman has said "Another possibility to explain the long gaps is that this is a man who comes to the area infrequently, possibly for work reasons." His attacks may also take place while the rapist is between relationships. His attacks are usually between 6pm and 8pm, "possibly on the way home from work", or between 1am and 3am, and he may have convictions for car crime "because of the ease with which he breaks into vehicles."
Crimewatch
The case was highlighted on the BBC'sBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Crimewatch
Crimewatch
Crimewatch is a long-running and high-profile British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes with a view to gaining information from the members of the public. The programme is usually broadcast once a month on BBC One...
program on 25 January 2000, including an appeal from Avon and Somerset Constabulary for information from the public. As a result of the appeal, six previously unknown victims came forward. Callers also gave the names of four potential suspects, including the son of a British diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, and "dozens of calls were received from prostitutes and partners of people with similar sexual habits". Police believe that he was deliberately taunting them by carrying out two attacks on the evening after the television programme was aired.
Suspects
One theory considered by police was that the rapist had been in prison or away from the area while serving as a member of the armed forces, based on his inactivity between October 1991 and November 1994 and between February 1997 and January 1999. Detectives later learned that these periods coincided with dates when a diplomat's son, whose name had been given by a caller to Crimewatch, was out of the country living with his father. Although detectives visited the country where the father works to ascertain if similar attacks had occurred there, no further information has been forthcoming from the police.DNA
In January 2001 the Forensic Science ServiceForensic Science Service
The Forensic Science Service is a government-owned company in the United Kingdom which provides forensic science services to the police forces and government agencies of England and Wales, as well as other countries.-History:...
used the Low Copy Number
Low copy number
Low Copy Number is a DNA profiling technique developed by the Forensic Science Service and in use in some countries since 1999.In the United Kingdom use of the technique was suspended between 21 December 2007 and 14 January 2008 while the Crown Prosecution Service conducted a review into its use...
(LCN) DNA profiling technique to isolate the rapist's DNA "fingerprint". They then began the process of taking swabs for comparison from all the men - believed to be around 2,000 individuals - whose names had come up during the course of the investigation.
Murder of Melanie Hall
Police investigating the abduction and murder of 25-year-old Melanie HallMelanie Hall
Melanie Hall was a British hospital clerical officer from Bradford on Avon, who went missing on 9 June 1996, following a night out at the Cadillacs nightclub in Bath...
who disappeared after a night out in Bath in June 1996 have not ruled out a connection with the rapist. He is known to have attempted to carjack a woman at knifepoint in the same area of the city a few hours before Hall was abducted, leaving his victim wounded when she fought back and managed to escape.