Three women were attacked by a lone man on Jamaica Road in Bermondsey last night (Thursday November 18), in an unexplained series of assaults.
The assaults happened around 6.45pm near Bartons coffee shop on Dockhead. One woman was punched in the face, leaving her bruised, while two more were punched in the arm. The motive for the attacks is unclear – the woman who was punched in the face told the News that the man did not steal anything from her.
The man is described by this woman as black, in his late teens or early 20s, wearing a balaclava, a black zip-up jumper, a grey and black tracksuit and trainers. He was of medium height and a slim build, she added.
The woman, who did not want to be named, added that she felt unsafe in the area even before the attack – despite living in Bermondsey for a decade – and said she wanted to warn other women to be careful after the attack.
She added that she feels so uncomfortable after dark that she gets her husband to walk with her if she is out in the evening. The situation has become so difficult for them that they are considering leaving the UK to move to her husband’s home country.
The woman said that the man jogged up to her and punched her in the face before running away. She managed to duck partially out of the way but he still struck a glancing blow that left her face bruised and swollen.
Police said they have yet to catch the man but the woman added that they were quickly on the scene, and treated her with kindness and understanding.
Chief Inspector Annmarie Cowley, from Central South BCU which covers Lambeth and Southwark, said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe in our city and this type of behaviour is completely unacceptable.
“These women did the right thing by reporting the assaults to police and we will now look closely at this location to assess whether any further safety measures need to be put in place.
“Every day we are working closely with our partners to deliver a safe environment for women and girls so that they can go about their daily lives without the fear of becoming victims of crime.”