by A woman who alleged she was raped as a schoolgirl by a notorious sex killer and prime suspect in the disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh is fighting against time to seek justice before she can die in prison.
Melanie Gregory, 52, has told police that John Cannan kidnapped her in 1981 at the age of nine and brutally sexually assaulted her.
She did not tell anyone about her ordeal at the time and later emigrated to Australia in the hope of putting it behind her.
‘Not enough evidence’
But now, more than 40 years later, the mother-of-two has waived her automatic right to anonymity and come forward in hopes of finally getting justice.
She provided details of the attack to West Midlands Police but was blamed when the force told her there was insufficient evidence to investigate further.
Cannan is serving three life sentences for the murder of Shirley Banks in Bristol in 1987, for an attempted abduction of a woman the night before, for the rape of his girlfriend in 1980 and for a series of other kidnappings and sex offences.
He is also the prime suspect in the unsolved disappearance of estate agent Lamplugh in July 1986. He denies any involvement in the Lamplugh case.
With Cannan, 69, reported to be terminally ill in prison, Mrs Gregory fears he may go to his grave without ever being held responsible for the attack.
Mrs Gregory grew up in the Erdington area of Birmingham, not far from Sutton Coldfield, where Cannan lived as a young man.
She recalled that she was walking from the shop where her mother worked at home one day when a man approached her, claiming to know her older brother. He then grabbed her and forced her into a building where he continued to sexually assault her.
She told the Telegraph: “I think he was looking at me before. He came running up from behind and acted like I should know who he was.
“He mentioned my brother and gave me the impression that he was his friend.
“He was wearing tight blue jeans, a burgundy leather jacket cut above the waist and that black shirt.
“He had a brown and gold belt and shoes that clicked on the pavement as he walked.
‘I was absolutely terrified’
“By this time I was very frightened and knew we were approaching a gully which had grown up near the church in Goosemoor Lane and a wash called Old Stone’s.
“The next thing I remember was being completely scared when he grabbed me and lifted me off my feet.
“His hand was around my neck in a chokehold and his hand was over my mouth. I could hear myself screaming though.
“He forced me into an upstairs room where there was already a mattress on the floor.
“He had these things inside ready to go including a rope to tie me up. It felt very planned and premeditated.”
She said after the ordeal her attacker coldly started to walk her back home but she ran ahead and knocked on her front door, knocking him out.
‘I was frozen in shock’
She said she was so scared of what happened that she ran up to her bedroom and curled up in a ball.
“I was just frozen with shock and the most pain,” she explained.
When her father returned home later that evening, she was so horrified by what had happened that she decided not to mention the attack and kept it bottled up for years.
She moved to Australia in 2007 for a new start, but recently came across an article online about the 1978 kidnapping, rape and murder of Erdington schoolgirl Candace Williams by Patrick Hassett.
Wondering if the same man could be responsible for her rape, she began researching the case, but did not recognize Hassett.
However, she saw a reference in the story to Cannan, who was one of the early suspects in the case.
When she looked up a picture of Cannan from the time, she says an immediate shiver went down her spine as she remembered his distinctive appearance.
Later she found a video recorded by Cannan for a dating website and when she heard his voice and saw his manner she convinced herself that he was the man responsible for the attack she made.
There are also similarities between their ordeal and other attacks by Cannan in the same area, including the rape of a shop assistant in front of his mother in 1981, for which he was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Three years ago, Mrs Gregory contacted the Metropolitan Police, who referred the case to the West Midlands force. But I was taken aback when the detectives informed her that there was nothing they could do with the information.
A Central West Police spokesman said: “A report was made to us last year and was formally recorded.
“We have carefully considered the information provided and unfortunately we do not have enough evidence to proceed with an investigation.
“Our reasoning has been updated for the complainant.
“We fully understand that this is not the outcome she wanted, but we have to consider whether there would be a realistic prospect of a conviction, and unfortunately there is not in this case.
“We understand the complainant’s frustration at this decision and our thoughts are with the victims of rape and sexual abuse.
“We take all reports of sexual assault extremely seriously and our public protection unit is committed to improving our service to increase convictions.”
But Mrs Gregory has said she is deeply disappointed by the decision and has urged police to reconsider.
She said: “We always hear that it’s never too late to come forward and report a historical sex crime and the victim will be believed.
“Well, that’s obviously not true here. It was a very disappointing result and even when I appealed the decision and made a formal complaint about their conduct, none of it went away.”
News last year that Cannan was receiving palliative care in prison after suffering a stroke made her determination to be seen as responsible for the attack.
‘Devastating decision’
Mike Brewer, a retired detective sergeant with another force who supported Ms Gregory during her case, said he was “absolutely devastated” by the decision in the West Midlands.
He said: “By their very nature, historical situations are difficult. There is often no forensic evidence and it is difficult to identify other witnesses. This is why the interview with the victim is so important.
“You have to gather every possible piece of information and then it can be analyzed to look for any corroboration and any possible lines of inquiry. I was very surprised when I heard the result here.
“The kidnapping and rape of a nine-year-old child is such a serious offence.
“When it comes to a high-profile offender, it surprises me that a decision was made not to even interview the victim. If you don’t look, you won’t find.”
Ms Gregory said she wrote to Cannan in prison to try to get him to come to terms with his crime.
She said: “Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get a response. All these years he has reveled in his reputation. I want people to know that it is not only rape and murder but also child abuse.
“I freely withdrew my anonymity because I want my story to be heard.
“I want justice not only for me but for all victims of sexual abuse who are not listened to. We rarely succeed in holding our abusers accountable.”
