Police race to find suspects in two separate London attacks as public anger over street violence grows

London was gripped by fear and fury this week as two horrific attacks unfolded on opposite ends of the city—one, a double sexual assault in Ealing; the other, a savage brawl in Hackney that left a man with life-altering injuries. Both cases have triggered a flurry of police activity, CCTV appeals, and renewed public outrage over spiralling violence on the capital’s streets.

In Ealing, a woman endured what police described as a “harrowing ordeal” after stepping off a busy late-night bus. The incident occurred just after 11.30 pm on a Wednesday evening, as the victim disembarked the E1 bus near Drayton Green station. She was initially targeted moments after getting off. But it didn’t stop there.

The suspect—described as a Black man in his late 20s to early 30s, slim, around 5ft 11in, with dark curly hair—stalked the woman further up Park Road. Then came a second, more aggressive sexual assault. CCTV footage later captured him fleeing north towards Browning Avenue, prompting a citywide appeal for help.

The Metropolitan Police released images of the man and confirmed the woman is receiving full support from specially trained officers. But in Ealing, residents are reeling.

“How many more women must suffer like this?” asked local councillor Amara Dey. “The government talks a big game on safety, but predators still walk our streets unchecked.”

Calls for increased late-night security near transport routes are intensifying. Women’s rights advocates have urged Transport for London to revisit its safety measures and expand the presence of uniformed patrols.

Meanwhile, in Hackney, a brutal fight in the early hours of Saturday left a 32-year-old man hospitalised with catastrophic injuries. The attack took place shortly before 1 am on Lower Clapton Road. Though police and paramedics responded rapidly, the victim’s condition was immediately declared critical. Doctors now say the injuries have changed his life forever.

The man believed to be responsible has been named by police as Christopher Richards, 32, from South Ockendon. He is described as medium to broad build, with dark brown hair and connections to Hackney. His photograph has been widely circulated as detectives urge anyone with information to come forward immediately.

“This is a deeply disturbing attack,” said DI Natalie Lynch of the Met’s Serious Crime Division. “We believe someone knows where Richards is, and we are urging them to do the right thing.”

Hackney residents say they are exhausted by the violence. “It’s chaos out here,” said local shopkeeper Reece Nwosu. “You don’t know when or where the next eruption is coming.”

Both cases are now focal points in a broader debate about crime and safety in London. Politicians across party lines have called for harsher sentences, more visible policing, and urgent investment in violence prevention strategies.

For now, two families remain in turmoil—one supporting a victim of repeated sexual assault; the other facing a future forever altered by a street fight. And across London, the message from the public is clear: enough is enough.