Man charged after raping 13-year-old girl over Christmas holidays

Damian Andre Martin, of Millbrook Road West, has been charged with rape, sexual assault, two counts of assault by penetration, assault by beating and taking a child so as to keep him/her from a person having lawful control.

This comes after a 13-year-old was raped some time overnight between Thursday, December 26 and Friday, December 27. The teenage girl was raped by a man she had met that evening at an address in the St Mary’s area.

Martin is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates Court today (December 31).

A second man, a 50-year-old from Southampton, has been arrested on suspicion of rape and released on conditional police bail to allow for further enquiries to continue.

The young girl is being supported by specialist officers.

The police want to remind you of the support available to children who have experienced, or are experiencing, sexual abuse of any form. If you do not have the confidence to speak to police straight away, there are other support services available that you can access.

Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111. If you are concerned about a child then you can contact the NSPCC helpline, confidentially, on 0808 800 5000. Alternatively, you can email [email protected]

For those in Southampton, Yellow Door, a local charity, can also offer you a range of help and support. You can visit their website at yellowdoor.org.uk or contact them on 023 8063 6312.

For more information about the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, click here.