A man has been charged with rape following a serious incident outside St John’s Church on Station Road in Harrow during the early hours of Wednesday, 23 July.
Police were called to the scene at 00:49am, where two distinctive yellow and white forensic tents were later seen set up outside the church. A cordon was put in place, and the area remained closed off throughout the day.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Service said: “Bruke Desalagne, 32, of no fixed address has been charged with rape on Wednesday, July 23. He was set to appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court this morning (Thursday, July 24).
“Officers were called at 00:49hrs on Wednesday, 23 July to reports of a sexual assault on Station Road, Harrow. The victim, a man in his 60s, is being supported by specialist officers.
“Mr Desalagne was arrested at the scene on suspicion of sexual assault and charged as above.”
Members of the Harrow Online Group on Facebook have been sharing their feelings about the incident, which has left the community in shock.
One person said, “Poor man, the older we are the more difficult it becomes to protect yourself, your brain says I can handle anything life throws at me, and Life says otherwise. I hope he can recover from this terrible crime.”
Another person added, “What’s going on to this world?. Looks like all the evils are out at some point.”
Another person said, “This government is a joke and a danger to society!!! Becoming a common occurrence these days…. When will you wake up!!! Bring back Margaret Thatcher.”
Another posted, “I’ve lived in Harrow all my life and it pains me to see what is happening on the streets. We need more police on the beat, it’s that simple really.”
Harrow Online will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
