The Truth about the Night Stalker

RAPE - There are several references to the Night Stalker in history, cinema and so on.

The most infamous of these is Delroy Grant, the rapist of London England who reputedly raped 203 people, mostly elderly women, and including 10 men. There might have even been more victims, victims whom never came forward to point the finger at the man who had raped them.

Also known as the Minstead Rapist, Delroy Grant has been active since 1990. Last week on March 24th Grant was sentenced to four life sentences and a minimum of 27 years in prison.

The 52 yeard old Delroy Grant was a father of 8, "a family man" who cared for his disabled wife... and a cunning rapist. On November 15th 2009 he was caught and charged with burglary, rape and indecent assault for rapes dating between October 1992 and May 2009. Police know there are more incidents, but they cannot prove all the incidents tied to Delroy Grant.

Even with high profile cases its often difficult to prove rape. They were only able to positively confirm his connection to 4 rapes and approx. 30 sexual assaults.

The problem with capturing Delroy Grant was that he was dormant for long periods. After the first confirmed attack in October 1992 he took a break and there were no more attacks until 1997.

As Delroy got older the attacks increased, becoming more confident. In August 1999 he nearly killed the elderly woman and took another break.

In October 2002 he resumed the attacks. Another 7 attacks occurred in Summer 2003 alone. Then another long break until 2008.

It was the series of attacks between 2008 and 2009 that eventually led to Delroy Grant getting caught. Police began to suspect the owner of a Vauxhall Zafira and began looking for the owner. Over 70 undercover officers were placed on stakeout in the region Delroy Grant usually preyed for women. He was eventually caught and charged with the long list of assaults which they were able to confirm positively based on descriptions of him plus DNA evidence.

1. Rape - on 12/10/92 at Shirley, on an 89-year-old woman
2. Rape - on 5/9/98 at Warlingham, Surrey, on an 81-year-old woman
3. Rape - on 28/7/99 at Addiscombe, on an 82-year-old woman
4. Rape - on 5/8/99 at Orpington, on an 88-year-old woman
5. Indecent assault - on 20/6/99 at Beckenham of a 71-year-old woman
6. Indecent assault - on 12/7/99 at Addiscombe of an 82-year-old woman
7. Indecent assault - on 4/8/99 at Shirley on an 88-year-old woman
8. Indecent assault - on 13/10/02 at Shirley on a 77-year-old woman
9. Burglary (no violence) - on 25/5/09 at Shortlands, Bromley
10. Burglary (theft/attempted theft with violence) - on 12/10/92 at Shirley
11. Burglary with intent to rape - on 5/9/98 at Warlingham, Surrey
12. Indecent assault - on 5/9/98 at Warlingham, Surrey, of an 81-year-old woman
13. Burglary (theft/attempted theft with violence) - on 12/7/99 at Addiscombe
14. Burglary (theft/attempted theft with violence) - on 28/7/99 at Addiscombe
15. Indecent assault - on 28/7/99 at Addiscombe, of an 82-year-old woman
16. Burglary (theft/attempted theft with violence) - on 4/8/99 at Shirley.
17. Burglary (theft/attempted theft with violence) - on 5/8/99 at Orpington
18. Rape - on 5/8/99 at Orpington, on an 88-year-old woman
19. Burglary (theft/attempted theft with violence) - on 13/10/02 at Shirley
20. Burglary (theft/attempted theft with violence) - on 7/3/03 at West Dulwich
21. Burglary (theft/attempted theft with violence) - on 7/9/04 at Bromley
22. Burglary (theft/attempted theft with violence) - on 20/6/99 at Beckenham

His modus operandi was geriatric women, sneaking in through open windows or disassambling windows in order to gain entry. Once inside he would often spend hours with the victims, displaying a knowledge of how to support an elderly victim's spine, how to hold their elbows and so forth. He was even at times apologetic, leaving without committing an assault when victims chastised him with words like "What would your mother think of you?"

His shame for his actions apparently led to the long breaks between attacks.

The Night Stalker is hardly alone however.

According to UK police there are 50,000 rapes every year, but only 600 convictions. Rape is far more common than people care to admit.

And the methods used by defense lawyers are almost as bad.

In 2002, 16-year-old British teenager Lindsay Armstrong was raped. Later in court the defense lawyer asked her to hold up the thong she'd been wearing during the rape. “Little Devil” read the writing on the thong. The defense lawyer argued that she had dressed like a slut and had wanted to have sex.

Lindsay was mortified by having to show her thong in court. Three weeks later Lindsay killed herself.

In Canada awhile ago Toronto police Const. Michael Sanguinetti had told a class at Osgoode Hall Law School the following:

“Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.”

Sanguinetti has since apologized for his stupidity, but he apparently believes rapists judge their victims on appearance. (Delroy Grant obviously didn't care what his victims wore.)

Since the Sanguinetti incident many Toronto feminists have organized a protest against the thinking that slutty clothes makes you a target for rapists.

The protest, SlutWalk, will start at 1:30 this coming Sunday at Queen's Park and parade past Toronto Police Headquarters at 40 College St.

Attendees are encouraged to wear whatever they want. Office clothes, clubwear, jogging clothes, cycling gear, yoga clothes, etc... you know, the clothes you normally wear.

After all rapes don't happen because of what you wear. Nothing to do with it. Often its who you know. A relative, a friend, a co-worker, a neighbour, a boss... anybody can be a rapist. And they don't care whether you wear ugly clothes.

Lets take Alice Sebold as an example, author of The Lovely Bones, who was raped while a student at Syracuse University in a tunnel. Another girl had been raped in the same tunnel, killed and dismembered.

And what was Alice Sebold wearing when she was raped? Overalls and a t-shirt. Nothing special.

My point is rapists plan these things in advance. They're pre-meditated. They go looking for a victim and they don't care if the victim is wearing long heels, a thong or whatever.

OTHER NIGHT STALKERS

Richard Ramirez, a Los Angeles serial killer who killed at least 14 people between 1984 and 1985.

Nightstalker, a 2002 film based on Ramirez.

The Night Stalker, a 1987 horror film starring Charles Napier.

An unidentified serial killer and rapist from 1976-1986 known as "Original Night Stalker" and "The East Area Rapist", connected to at least 56 rapes/murders in California.