A WOMAN who was raped on Brighton beach has spoken about her traumatic ordeal.

Rachel Collins, 27, was attacked in 2015 by a man who had approached her at a bus stop.

Later that evening, he found her sitting on the beach by the Kings Road Arches, and raped her. He has still not been caught.

In law, victims of sexual assault have an automatic right to anonymity.

But now, five years after the attack, Rachel has waived that right because she wants to speak about what happened.

This is what she told reporter Laurie Churchman.

“I have always said a part of me died that day.

“I will never be the person I was before it happened.

“I was out with a friend. We were celebrating our birthdays – we both turned 22 in February that year.

“We got off the bus, and a guy started talking to us by the clocktower. We thought it was a bit weird, but we walked down to a few bars and clubs down by the seafront.

“We couldn’t get in to one place – I think it was Coalition – so we sat on the beach.

“My friend got up to get a drink. When she left, the guy we’d seen at the bus stop attacked me.

“I completely froze.

“His friend had been distracting my friend. When she came back, she got the guy off me. She managed to help me.

“We went up and spoke to the security guards at one of the clubs. The police were there within minutes, but the guy and his friend did a runner.

“They didn’t get caught, so that was that.

“I was raped.

“Afterwards, my mental health went downhill. I lost my job at a nursery in Newhaven.

“Then I lost my place at Brighton University, studying early childhood practice.

“It had a bad affect on my friendships and relationships. My personality changed, and so did the way I acted around people. I had trust issues with my friends. I wasn’t engaging, and I was downcast.

“I’ve had post-traumatic stress disorder, emotionally unstable personality disorder, depression, and anxiety.

“It was nearly six years ago now.

“The week after it happened, I still wanted to work – that was my way of coping.

“Initially, I tried to act as if nothing had happened. Then it just hit me. I wasn’t well.

“At the time, I didn’t know who I could trust, or who I could turn to.

“More recently, I’ve been coping better, but I’ve been in and out of hospital.

“I was taken into the urgent care centre in Eastbourne District General Hospital this summer, and then went into Meadowfield Hospital in Worthing. I saw a psychiatrist every week.

“I’ve spent a lot of time at The Sanctuary in Hastings, which supports people going through mental health problems, and had help from crisis teams.

“There’s the Survivors Networks for victims of sexual violence in Brighton, but I still don’t think there’s enough support for people like me.

“Police look after you while the investigation’s going on, but when they file the case away and they’ve got no further leads, there’s not enough counselling available.

“There’s only support for victims for a certain amount of time.

“I’ve been left with no justice, no closure, and no support from the police.

“It’s only now, five years down the line, that I’m getting the help I need.

“I want other people in the same situation to know that even though they can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, there’s a light if they just keep going.

“I want to tell people to talk about what’s happened to them, and to push for support. Don’t isolate yourself – talk to your friends and family.

“And I want to raise awareness for the forgotten victims of sexual violence.

“For the victims whose cases don’t get heard in court, the victims whose attackers have never been caught, and the victims who are living a life sentence.”

Rachel wants closure, and hopes the suspect can still be found. But Sussex Police said it has “no current enquiries” in relation to the case.

A spokesman said: “As with all cases if any new information is received that could lead to new lines of enquiry, it would be followed up.”

The attack took place on February 28, 2015. The suspect was said to be in his late 20s or early 30s. He was bald, had tanned skin, and was around 5ft 3in tall.

Rachel said he was wearing a brown leather jacket, and a black or red striped T-shirt. A man seen with him earlier that evening was also tanned, slim and in his late 20s or early 30s. He was wearing a beanie hat.

Grainy CCTV footage recorded in the city centre at the time showed a group of people police believe may have seen the attacker and could be able to identify him.

You can contact Sussex Police by calling 101. If you are victim of rape or sexual abuse, you can contact Survivors Network in Brighton on Mondays and Wednesdays between 12-2pm on 07928 818130, 07526 074 753, or 01273 720 110, or email help@survivorsnetwork.org.uk.