Man, 30, arrested after boy, 17, raped in churchyard at midnight

A 30-year-old man has been arrested after a 17-year-old boy was raped as he walked through a graveyard at midnight.

The alleged victim was walking through the grounds of Eccles Parish Church in Eccles, Greater Manchester on June 22 when he was approached by a man he didn’t know.

He struck up a conversation with him as the pair walked through the cemetery before punching him in the stomach and raping him, police say. 

The boy was taken to hospital and the police were called to the scene, where they erected a forensic tent to investigate the incident. 

A man, 30, was arrested the same day on suspicion of rape but has been released under investigation pending further enquiries. 

The alleged victim was taken to hospital in a silver car at around 1.40am by a man a woman, who detectives now want to talk to.    

The victim is being supported by specially trained officers. 

Detective Constable Stephen Hough, of Greater Manchester Police’s Salford district, said: ‘Specialist officers are continuing to support the teenager and his family as he recovers from this horrific ordeal and we’re continuing to work hard to ensure the person responsible is held to account.

‘Whilst we have arrested a man as part of our enquiries, our investigation remains ongoing and we know that a man and woman driving a silver car dropped the teenager off at hospital at around 1:40am.

‘I want to stress that they aren’t in any trouble but we really need to speak to them as part of our enquiries so I would appeal directly to them to get in touch with us as soon as possible.’