Woman raped by several men outside church

A woman was sexually assaulted by multiple individuals outside a church in Epsom after leaving a nightclub in Surrey. The incident took place between 2:00 and 4:00 BST on Saturday, with the attack reportedly occurring near the Epsom Methodist Church on Ashley Road.

The victim, in her early 20s, claimed she was followed from Labyrinth Epsom nightclub and subjected to the assault. Police have confirmed the event happened in the early hours but have not yet released full details of the offenders.

“We understand this is an extremely distressing incident and the victim is being supported by specialist officers,” said Det Insp Aine Matthews.

Authorities have not yet obtained complete descriptions of the suspects, though investigators are actively pursuing leads. “Our investigation is in its early stages,” Matthews added. “We are working at pace to develop our picture of the suspects, and we will share details as soon as we are able to.”

Officers are appealing for anyone who was in the area during the specified time and may have witnessed or spoken to the woman in distress. “As part of our investigation, we would like to speak to anyone who was in the area between 2am and 4am and may have seen or spoken to a woman in her 20s in distress,” Matthews said.

Those with information are encouraged to contact the police. Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.