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Serial killers

JOHN DUFFY
The Railway Rapist - Killer &
DAVID MULCAHY

"Rape is a natural thing for a man to do" (John Duffy)

Probably one of the most significant criminal cases in recent years. This case saw the first use in Britain of "Psychological Offender Profiling". Duffy had started out as a violent rapist in 1982, originally working with, at the time, an un-named and uncharged accomplice. That first attack happened 1n July 1982, two men attacked and violently raped a 23 year old woman in Hampstead, North London. Over the next four years a further 18 women were to be attacked. The police, concerned at the number of attacks launched "Operation Hart", the largest police investigation in the UK since the Yorkshire Ripper enquiry. During the investigation Duffy was questioned regarding violence, and, was in the operation Hart computer, but was near the bottom of the list, which contained the names of thousands of potential suspects. Professor David Canter, then at Surrey University, was called in to aid the police investigation. Canter drew up a list of seventeen personality and characteristic traits, as well as environmental clues that the offender would display. On 12 of these he was completely accurate.

Timeline

June 1982		Two men rape a woman close to Hampstead Station.
Summer 1983		For the next 12 months women were terrorised. 18 women were raped near train stations, plus, as it was later discovered, only 5 minutes walk from Duffy's Kilburn house.
Autumn 1983		All of a sudden the attacks stopped. Police later found out that this was at the same time Duffy had separated from his wife.
Early 1984		The attacks started again, this time in West London and North London, the police had no evidence to link the two, were they the same man, or two different individuals?
July 1985		Three women were raped on the same night, all in the Hendon, Hampstead area.
August 1985		Duffy arrested for attacking wife, police add him to the operation Hart database of suspects.
September 1985		Woman attacked in Barnet, police think attackers description sounds like Duffy.
2 nd December 1985		Duffy on identity parade, but the victim, suffering from the shock of the attack, fails to recognise him.
23 rd December 1985		John Duffy Murders Allison Day.
17th April 1986		He murders Martje Tambosezer
12 th May 1986		Duffy was arrested near North Weald station, he was carrying a knife, but was later released as there was no ther evidence.
18 th May 1986		Anne Locke, a TV presenter, was attacked and murdered after getting off a train in Hertfordshire.
21 st October 1986		A 14 year old schoolgirl was attacked and raped.
7 th November 1986		Duffy was arrested after he was discovered stalking a woman in a residential park.
8 th November 1986		Duffy was charged with three murders, and seven counts of rape.
26 th February 1988		John Francis Duffy was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a judge at the Old Bailey
		Duffy confesses to a prison counsellor that he had not worked alone in the sex attacks.
3 rd October 2000		Duffy back at the Old Bailey. The previously unknown accomplice has now been identified by Duffy, who wants to clear his conscience.
2 nd February 2001		David Mulcahy  given three life sentences for the rape and murdr of three women, and for seven further rapes.
12 th March 2001		Duffy charged with a further 17 rapes and given a further 12 years on top of his existing sentence.
		Police are conducting interviews with up to 20 more women, who, may, have been victims of this pair.

 

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