THE PENSIONER raped in her own home by a boy has said she will not let it ruin her life.

The grandmother in her 70s was attacked after the rapist – who police have described as aged between 14 and 16 – talked his way into her home by claiming he wanted to speak to her about the war because it was around Remembrance Day.

However, after gaining her trust, he then attacked her.

Yesterday, police arrested a 14-year-old on suspicion of rape. He was still being held last night.

The victim, who cannot be identified, agreed to talk about her ordeal because she did not want anyone else to be attacked.

She said: “I’m determined (the attacker) will not ruin my life. He ruined my weekend and that was enough.

“I’m trying to continue with my life as normal as I can, but I will never be able to forget what he did to me.

“It has left me feeling disgusted and angry. He attacked me in my own home and violated me.”

The attacker knocked at the woman’s door at about 9am on Saturday in the Hardwick area of Banbury.

She said: “He wanted me to help him with his school project about the war.

“As it was Remembrance Day weekend, I was only too happy to talk about it.

“I feel very foolish for letting him in in the first place. He has taken advantage of my kindness when I was willing to talk to him.

“I just want to understand why he did what he did. It was a hellish ordeal.”

The woman said she was powerless to stop the youth and added: “I asked him ‘why are you doing this?’ and ‘why me?’ “All he said was in response was that ‘I like you’.

“I kept saying ‘if you like me you would stop what you’re doing to me’.”

The woman’s phone rang during the attack and she said she convinced him to answer it because people would wonder where she was.

It gave her the opportunity to raise the alarm, using a personal care alert around her neck.

She said: “He couldn’t see I had one and I didn’t want to show him in case he strangled me with it or snatched it off me.

“When I had done that (pressed it) I knew I had to compose myself and let out the biggest scream I ever have in my life.

“I knew that the alarm receiving call centre would hear me and they would send help.

“It was then he got up and ran out and closed the door behind him.”

Her son, who was coming around to visit the woman, missed catching the attacker by seconds.

Anyone with information about the attack can call police on their new inquiries number of 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.