DEREK YOUNG FROM PORTSMOUTH AND SOUTHAMPTON JAILED FOR DECADES-OLD SEX ATTACKS

In a significant development in cold case investigations, Derek Young, a man with ties to both Portsmouth and Southampton, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting to a series of sexual assaults that occurred throughout the 1990s in Hampshire. The lengthy investigation culminated in Young’s guilty plea, bringing some measure of justice to victims who endured years of trauma.

Young, now aged 52 and residing in Portsmouth, confessed to multiple heinous crimes, including the rape of a 14-year-old girl at Southampton Sports Centre in 1994. He also admitted to attempting to assault a 19-year-old woman in Southsea in 1990. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a woman in Victoria Park, Portsmouth, in 1993. These crimes, spanning over a period of four years, had long remained unsolved until recent advances in forensic science and a renewed review of the case.

The police arrest of Young in March was prompted by a comprehensive review of cold cases, aided significantly by improvements in DNA analysis techniques. The investigation had previously been featured on BBC’s Crimewatch programme in December 2007, which helped generate public interest and tips that eventually led to his identification.

One of the victims, now 28 years old, recounted her harrowing experience to BBC News. She described Young as a “very violent man,” revealing that he had held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her during the attack. She reflected on her survival, saying, “And because I didn’t put up a fight I probably got away… quite lightly.” She also expressed mixed feelings about the outcome, stating, “I wouldn’t say it’s closure, I would just say it’s the end of a chapter. It is something that I will never forget and I’ll never get over – but it is the end now.”

Historical records show that Young was previously arrested in 1995 for theft, but at that time, police did not routinely collect DNA samples from suspects. It was only after the recent review and technological advancements that authorities were able to link him to the cold case crimes. Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Farrell of Hampshire Constabulary explained, “We had a DNA profile but the offender was not on the database – so we had to go out through conventional means and through a mass public press appeal to try to identify who this person could be. Once we had names, it was easy to take samples and compare, and finally we got our man.”

Tragically, one of Young’s victims, a woman from Southsea, passed away from an unrelated illness approximately 18 months after the attack. Her death marked a somber note in the ongoing investigation, underscoring the lasting impact of these crimes on the victims and their families.