A 17-year-old girl was pushed into a portable toilet and raped during a ball at the Royal Highland Show.

The girl’s mother revealed details of the assault yesterday as she made an appeal to catch the attacker before he strikes again.

She said that the attack, which took place at the Young Farmers’ Ball, had devastated her daughter. “My daughter is trying to put this awful experience behind her, and as a family we are trying to live life as normal in what is a very abnormal situation. We are all devastated, but we are strong, and we are pulling together as a family to support each other and get through this.”

Appealing for any witnesses to come forward, she said: “We are determined to help the police catch the person who did this to my daughter, because if he isn’t caught, he could do it again. I would also appeal to the person who carried out this to hand himself in.

“I would urge anyone who was at the ball and took photographs to e-mail them to the police.”

The rape took place on Saturday between 12.30am and 1am when there were between 2,000 and 2,500 people at the showground at Ingliston, near Edinburgh. Lothian and Borders Police said that the girl’s attacker would have had a ticket for the ball, which took place at the end of the Royal Highland Show.

It is the second time in three years that a young woman has been raped at the event. In 2006, another 17-year-old girl was attacked while making her to a nearby campsite, where the latest victim was also staying. No one has ever been charged with the attack.

Police said that they did not believe the two attacks were connected, although they could not rule out a link.

The latest rape happened after the girl, who is from the Grampian area, left her friends to queue for the toilets. As she tried to leave the cubicle, her attacker pushed her back in, locked the door and then raped her. He left the cubicle five minutes later and walked away.

He is described as white, in his mid-to-late twenties and of stocky build. He was unshaven with short brown hair and wore jeans and a dark blue rugby-style shirt with yellow letters on the back.

The girl did not know him but saw him earlier in the night, when he was with a group of other young men. She said that one of the group was wearing an Australian-style bush hat, blue jeans and a red top with white lettering.

Police have set up a dedicated e-mail address, highlandshow@lbp.pnn.police.uk

Detective Inspector Duncan Morrison, who is leading the investigation, said he hoped that some of the e-mailed pictures received would show the attacker or his friends in the background.

He said he believed that someone would have seen the girl queuing for the toilets and then the man forcing his way into the cubicle.

Officers have also recovered the details of everyone who bought a ticket over the internet and will be contacting them.

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