Description
A man who abducted a teenage girl at knifepoint before raping her in a basement has been given an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR).
Aaron Strachan, now 21, approached the 15-year-old girl as she waited at a bus stop in Edinburgh city centre in the early hours of 25 May 2025.
Due to feeling uneasy, the victim walked away towards Princes Street, where other members of the public were present.
Strachan, who was wearing a balaclava, was then captured on CCTV following her from a distance.
He then ran towards the girl as she sat at a second bus stop, threatening to harm her while brandishing a knife.
Strachan seized her by the shoulders and forcibly led her to the basement of a building on York Place.
He blocked the door with wooden pallets to prevent the victim from leaving before raping her.
Strachan, who did not know the victim, was identified after his DNA was found at the scene.
He was seen by police on Dalry Road on 1 June 2025 and ran off from officers but was located hiding in shrubbery a short time later.
On 4 December 2025, Strachan appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh where he pleaded guilty to rape.
He also admitted repeatedly stabbing a man on the hand with a knife, causing severe injury – an offence which took place just hours before the rape.
Strachan further pleaded guilty to a second assault after striking another man on the head with a claw hammer on 28 May 2025, to the danger of his life.
On 13 January 2026, after sentencing was adjourned, the accused escaped from custody while leaving the court building. He was caught by police a short time later.
On 27 July 2026, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Strachan was given the indefinite sentence and ordered to serve a minimum of five years before he can be considered for parole.
His name has been added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Faye Cook, Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, said:
“Aaron Strachan’s actions in abducting his victim before raping her were calculated, predatory, and caused profound harm.
“Although this type of stranger offending is rare, this conviction reflects the gravity of his crimes and the commitment of prosecutors and police to bring him to justice.
“Sexual violence and the use of weapons to intimidate and harm have no place in our society.
“We will continue to take action against perpetrators while supporting victims throughout the prosecution process.”