Chloe HarcombeWest of England
GoogleA 29-year-old man has appeared in court accused of raping a woman in a park.
Manoj Chinthathira appeared at North Somerset Courthouse earlier charged with two counts of rape and one count of strangulation after the woman was allegedly raped in Victoria Park, Taunton, on Saturday.
Avon and Somerset Police said members of the public found the woman in the park in a distressed state at about 05:00 BST.
Mr Chinthathira will next appear at Taunton Crown Court on 14 November.
Det Sgt Ryan Elkins, from Avon and Somerset Police, said: “This is a positive step in our investigation and our enquiries are ongoing into the incident.
“I would like to commend the bravery of the victim for supporting our enquiries to this point and we are grateful for those who have assisted us so far.”
He added that members of the public should avoid speculating about the case online as it could impact future proceedings.
