White British man charged with rape in Arbroath as police deny migrant link

A 23-year-old white British man has been charged with raping a woman in Arbroath, Scotland. Police Scotland dismissed online claims that migrants were responsible.

Arbroath rape charge: Police Scotland corrects online misinformation about migrants

A 23-year-old white British man has been charged with the rape of a woman in Arbroath, a Scottish seaside town on the North Sea coast, the Daily Express reports. The alleged attack took place in the Bridge Street area on 6 June. The accused is due to appear at Forfar Sheriff Court at a later date.

Police Scotland confirmed the arrest after online rumours falsely attributed the incident to migrants. In a statement, the force said: "We are aware of online posts suggesting this incident involved illegal migrants – this is inaccurate."

The false claims had spread in the wake of a separate incident in Arbroath on the weekend of 14 June. Officers said they had no record of any additional sexual assault in the town beyond the 6 June attack. A Police Scotland spokesperson added: "We have not received any reports of further incidents. There is no ongoing risk to the public and officers are actively engaging with the local community to provide reassurance."

Regarding the 14 June incident, a second spokesperson clarified that an assault was reported at around 18:35 on Sunday in Keptie Street, and that a report had been submitted to the Youth Justice Assessor. "There is nothing to suggest any sexual element or that illegal immigrants were involved," the spokesperson said.

Arbroath, also known as Aberbrothock, is the largest town in the Angus council area, with a population of nearly 24,000. It lies approximately 16 miles northeast of Dundee and 45 miles southwest of Aberdeen.

Source: Daily Express