A woman who claims she was raped as a schoolgirl by a notorious sex killer and prime suspect in the disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh races against time to seek justice before he possibly dies in prison.
Melanie Gregory, 52, has told police she was abducted by John Cannan in 1981 at the age of nine and subjected to a horrific sexual attack.
She told no one about her ordeal at the time and later emigrated to Australia in the hope of putting it behind her.
'Not enough evidence'
But now, more than four decades later, the mother of two has waived her automatic right to anonymity and come forward in the hope of finally getting justice.
She gave West Midlands Police details of the attack but was devastated when she was told by police there was not enough evidence to investigate further.
Cannan is serving three life sentences for the murder of Shirley Banks in Bristol in 1987, the attempted kidnapping of a woman the night before, the rape of his girlfriend in 1980 and a string of other kidnappings and sexual offences.
He is also the main suspect in the unsolved disappearance of real estate agent Lamplugh in July 1986. He denies any involvement in the Lamplugh case.
With Cannan, 69, terminally ill in prison, Ms Gregory fears he could go to his grave without ever being held accountable for the attack.
Mrs Gregory grew up in the Erdington area of Birmingham, not far from Sutton Coldfield, where Cannan lived as a young man.
She recalled how one day she was walking home from the store where her mother worked when a man approached, claiming to know her older brother. He then grabbed her and forced her into a building where he subjected her to a prolonged sexual assault.
She told The Telegraph: "I think he had been watching me before. He came running from behind and acted as if I needed to know who he was.
"He mentioned my brother and gave me the impression he was a friend of his.
"He was wearing tight blue jeans, a burgundy leather jacket that was above the waist and that black shirt.
The story continues
"He had a brown and gold belt and shoes that clicked on the sidewalk as he walked.
'I was terrified'
'I was feeling very scared by now and I realized we were approaching an overgrown gully next to the church in Goosemoor Lane and a launderette called Old Stone's.
'The next thing I remember is being completely terrified as he grabbed me and lifted me to my feet.
"He had his arm around my neck in a chokehold and his hand over my mouth. Still, I could hear myself screaming.
"He forced me to go to an upstairs room where there was already a mattress on the floor.
"He had this stuff ready to use, including rope to tie me up. It felt very planned and premeditated."
She said her attacker began to coolly walk her back home after the ordeal, but she ran ahead and banged on her front door, causing him to run away.
'I was frozen in shock'
She described how she was so scared of what had happened that she simply ran to her bedroom and curled up into a ball.
"I was just frozen in shock and in the most immense pain," she explained.
When her father came home later that evening, she was still so afraid of what had happened that she decided not to mention the attack and keep it bottled up for years.
She moved to Australia in 2007 for a fresh start, but recently came across an online article about the 1978 kidnap, rape and murder of Erdington schoolgirl Candace Williams by Patrick Hassett.
Wondering if the same man could be responsible for her rape, she began investigating the case, but did not recognize Hassett.
She did see a reference in the story to Cannan, one of the first suspects in the case.
When she looked up a photo of Cannan from that era, she claims an instant shiver ran down her spine as she remembered his distinctive look.
She later discovered a video Cannan had recorded for a dating website and hearing his voice and watching his mannerisms made her even more convinced that he was the man responsible for her attack.
There are also similarities between her ordeal and other attacks Cannan carried out in the same area, including the 1981 rape of a shop assistant in front of her mother, for which he was jailed for eight years.
Three years ago, Ms Gregory contacted the Metropolitan Police, who passed the case on to West Midlands Police. But she was shocked when detectives told her there was nothing they could do with the information.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "A report was submitted to us last year and formally recorded.
"We have carefully considered the information provided and unfortunately we do not have enough evidence to proceed with an investigation.
"The complainant has been fully informed of our reasons.
"We fully understand that this is not the outcome she had hoped for, but we must consider whether there would be a realistic prospect of a conviction, and unfortunately in this case that is not the case.
"We understand the complainant's frustration with this decision and victims of rape and sexual abuse deserve the very best attention.
"We take every report of sexual assault very seriously and our Public Protection Unit is committed to improving our service to increase convictions."
But Ms Gregory has said she is bitterly disappointed by the decision and has urged police to reconsider.
She said: "We hear all the time that it is never too late to come forward and report a historic sex crime and that the victim will be believed.
"Well, that's clearly not true here. It was a bitterly disappointing outcome and even when I appealed the decision and made a formal complaint about their conduct, it went nowhere."
News last year that Cannan was receiving palliative care in prison after suffering a stroke has fueled her determination to hold him accountable for the attack.
'Totally baffling decision'
Mike Brewer, a retired detective sergeant with another force who supported Ms Gregory throughout her case, said he was "completely baffled" by the West Midlands decision.
He said: "By nature, historical cases are difficult. There is often no forensic evidence and it is difficult to identify other witnesses. That is why the interview with the victim is so important.
"You need to collect all possible information that can then be analyzed to look for possible confirmations and possible lines of inquiry. I was really surprised when I heard the outcome here.
"The kidnapping and rape of a nine-year-old child is as serious a crime as it can be.
"When it comes to such a high-profile perpetrator, I am surprised that the decision was made not to even interview the victim. If you don't look, you won't find anything."
Ms Gregory said she wrote to Cannan in prison to try to get him to admit his crime.
She said: "It's no surprise I haven't received a response. He has enjoyed his fame all these years. I want people to know that he is not only a rapist and murderer, but also a child molester.
"I have voluntarily waived my anonymity because I want my story to be heard.
"I want justice, not just for me, but for all victims of sexual abuse who are not listened to. We rarely succeed in holding our abusers accountable."
