MORE than 100 angry demonstrators besieged a town hall today (Fri) to demand the eviction of Da Vinci Code rapist Robert Greens.
Protesters are furious that the recently-released sex attacker was secretly housed in a flat surrounded by young families in Dalkeith, Midlothian.
Police looked on as residents, many holding placards saying “Get rapist out”, marched on council offices in the town.
Greens, a father of four, was released early last Friday from his 10-year sentence for attacking a 19-year-old Dutch student.
He was dubbed the Da Vinci Code rapist after attacking the woman near Rosslyn Chapel, which is featured in Dan Brown’s novel.
The 2005 attack was described by the judge in the case as “one of the worst cases of rape” ever dealt with at the High Court. One witness thought the victim had been in a car crash.
A seven-year-old girl, Amy Jo Dickson, was at the head of today’s protest march, yelling at the top of her lungs: “Get the bad man out. Get the beast out. Out, out, get the rapist out.”
She also carried a placard saying: “Get rapist out.”
The organiser of the protest, Alex Morris was allowed in to the Midlothian House to meet a housing official.
The 56-year-old said afterwards: “The meeting didn’t go very well and we were told that he can’t be moved.”
But she added: “Now that we’ve marched, everyone knows where he lives so they’ll have no choice but to move him.
“It sickens me that we, the innocent members of the public, have no rights. The rights lie with a rapist, and that’s not right.
“We won’t rest until he’s out and I’ll be here on Monday morning if he’s not.”
Raymond Haywood, 34, son of protest organiser Alex Morris, led the chants on a megaphone, shouting: “Get the rapist out, get Greens out.”
The crowd, monitored by around 15 police officers, marched from Greens’ flat to the council offices at around 2pm.
Dionne Telfer, 17, arrived at the protest after she finishing school for the day.
“I volunteer for the youth club just across from where he stays,” she said.
“It’s terrifying knowing he’s walking the streets and we mightn’t even recognise him. We are the happiness and he is the sadness, he needs to go now.”
Neighbours say they are terrified to let their children out to play.
Susan Dickson, 28, said her seven year old daughter is terrified of Greens and hasn’t slept since he’s moved in.
She said: “it’s an absolute disgrace. I’ve got a six month old as well.
“I had to explain to my oldest daughter that we have a bad man in our block now. She heard everyone talking about him so I had to sit her down and explain that he’s dangerous.”
She added: “We don’t have a garden so I always used to let her play in the stairwell. I trust every one of my neighbours but I wouldn’t dare do that now.
“Ive seen him peeking his head through the curtains and it makes me sick every time I see him in his blue wolly hat.
“He has to go – anywhere but here,” she added.
Kevin Tait, 28, who lives next door to Mrs Morris, said: “He’s a nutter. I’m terrified something will happen to my 7-year-old daughter and my sister. I have a five year old son who ran up the stairs on his own to see me during the week and I was petrified.
“I cannot take my eyes off them as long as he’s here.
“We’ve been told that he’s under 24 hour surveillance but it’s not true.
“His security come first thing in the morning and they leave around four or five in the evening. What’s he up to at night when they leave?”
A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “Lothian and Borders Police can confirm that officers attended a demonstration in Dalkeith town centre today, in order to ensure public safety. The demonstration passed off peacefully, and no arrests were made.”
No-one was available for comment from Midlothian Council.
