A woman in her twenties suffered a severe concussion and multiple facial fractures after a man punched her in the face when she refused to give him a cigarette on a street in Peckham.
The attack happened on Anstey Road on 3 November 2025. Police believe the suspect may have followed the victim from Peckham Rye station before approaching her. When she told him she did not have a cigarette, he punched her with such force that she was knocked to the ground. She sustained fractures to her eye socket, cheekbone, nose and finger, as well as a severe concussion. Passers-by rushed to help and called emergency services. She was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police have carried out extensive enquiries, including house-to-house visits, witness interviews and CCTV reviews. Officers also retraced the victim’s route from the station as part of the investigation, but no arrests have been made. The suspect is described as a Black man, approximately 5ft 8in tall, with a slim build, and believed to be in his 30s or 40s. At the time of the incident he was wearing a green puffer jacket with white lettering on the back below the hood.
The investigation comes as the Met intensifies its work to tackle violence against women and girls. The force has increased the number of officers in public protection roles and adopted a data-led approach known as V100 to identify and prioritise high-risk offenders. Since its launch in 2023, V100 has led to more than 100 convictions and 126 people charged with offences including rape and grievous bodily harm. The Met is also a pathfinder for Operation Soteria, a national programme to transform police responses to rape and serious sexual assault investigations. Between April 2023 and March 2024, the force charged 758 rape cases – a significant increase on the previous year.
Detective Sergeant James Hughes, who is leading the investigation, said: “We understand that this unprovoked and violent attack will cause concern for the community. I’d like to reassure the capital that the Met is relentless in its pursuit to prosecute perpetrators and continuously strive to ensure women and girls feel safe when going about their daily lives.
“We continue to work hard to identify the person responsible and are asking the public to get in touch with us as a matter of urgency if they have any relevant information. No matter how small you think your information is, it may be the missing piece to our investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Metropolitan Police on 101, quoting reference 6670/3NOV25. To remain anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
