Aron Traynor Jailed 13 Years for 1992 Stockport Attempted Rape

Aron Traynor has been imprisoned for 13 years following his conviction for the attempted rape and violent indecent assault of a 74-year-old woman in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in 1992. The then 22-year-old was finally apprehended in 2023 after a DNA sample, collected during a drink-driving arrest, matched evidence from the original crime scene.

Police had failed to identify a suspect in the 1992 attack, which left the victim, who has since passed away, with “devastating and lasting” consequences, according to her son. Advances in forensic science enabled a re-examination of the 1992 evidence in 2005, yielding a “near-complete DNA profile” that was added to the national database, though no match was found at that time.

The breakthrough came when Traynor’s DNA, obtained during his 2023 drink-driving detainment, provided a direct match to the profile from the 1992 assault. Following a trial at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, Traynor was convicted in March.

Detective Chief Inspector Cheryl Hughes affirmed that “time is quite simply no barrier to justice,” adding that offenders should recognise the continuous advancement of forensic science increases the likelihood of their crimes being uncovered through interactions with the criminal justice system.