‘I believe I was drugged and raped at a police station - I deserve to know who my attacker is’
Zayna Iman has spent two years trying to piece together the events that occurred inside a jail cell in Greater Manchester on 5 and 6 February 2021 - she tells Maanya Sachdeva she won’t stop until justice is done
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More than two years after Zayna Iman claims she was drugged and raped in a police cell, she’s still waiting for answers – and accountability.
Ms Iman was detained by Greater Manchester Police when officers arrived at her home in the early hours of 5 February 2021. She had taken cocaine earlier that night, and a friend she FaceTimed became concerned for her welfare so called the police.
Transported by officers to a nearby station, the 38-year-old was unconscious and carried into a jail cell, where her clothes were removed.
Over the next 40 hours, she was subjected to a strip search and remained in a state of undress for prolonged periods of time, CCTV from inside her cell shows. The Independent has been shown several hours of this footage by Ms Iman.
She further alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted during her incarceration – but she has been forced to try and piece together the horrifying details of her ordeal herself.
“I requested the footage and the documents in February 2021,” she tells The Independent, waiving her right to anonymity. “They sent the paperwork in October 2021, but they didn’t send the footage until February 2022.”
Even when she received the footage, two hours were missing, leaving Ms Iman with more questions than answers.
At one point during her time in custody, she appeared distressed and threw a cup placed next to her. The feed then cuts out for an hour.
She claims a police officer had just asked her whether she’d “had anal sex before”, before the screen goes blank after 9.49am on 5 February.
“I knew I was in trouble as soon as I was asked that question,” she says. “I can't prove it because Greater Manchester Police won't give [me] the audio [from the cell].”
The next time Ms Iman is seen again, at 11am on the 5th, “I have no top on and start acting sexual”, she said. She claims her behaviour was a result of being given a date rape drug during her detention.
“The purpose of date rape drugs is one, they cause amnesia,” she said. “And number two, they make you more hypersexual so you are up for it, so you are compliant.”
At 1am on 6 February, Ms Iman appears to point at what look like bloodstains on a bench. Nearly 12 hours later, she’s completely naked and looks up at the camera, before the screen blanks again. The police have not shared footage of the next hour with her either.
Footage at around 7:20pm that day show Ms Iman pointing at dark stains on the white bench and on her legs. “I remember swiping my hand between my legs – from back to front — and it was covered in blood,” she recalls.
Custody logs indicate Ms Iman was released without bail at 7:48pm on the 6th, but cell footage shows her in the cell until 8:14pm when she’s given a tracksuit. According to a hospital log, she was admitted at 7:34pm. “None of [GMP’s] documentation matches,” Ms Iman says.
Her medical report, which has been seen by The Independent, states Ms Iman reported “bleeding from places she shouldn’t be bleeding” and she claimed she had been raped.
“Slim lady, looks unkempt,” the report finds, detailing Ms Iman’s presentation when she arrived at the hospital, and noting that she displayed “psychomotor agitation” or unintentional, uncontrolled repetitive movements.
“Disinhibited behaviour – at times asking me if I wanted to see her vagina.”
Recalling her condition at the time, Ms Iman said: “My back passage hurt. Everything inside hurt, and I was struggling to walk, and my friends will tell you that when they picked me up five days later from the hospital I was still struggling to walk.”
She remained in hospital for five days, the documents show. In an entry on 9 February, a doctor notes: “Zayna has spent time with staff trying to make sense of the things that have happened and has now queried whether she was actually raped by the police.
The report concludes that Ms Iman, “who does not have any prior history of mental disorder”, was admitted with an acute psychotic episode that was resolved without treatment.
“It is highly likely that this is drug related to ‘the date rape drug’ which led to a sexual assault.”
Since she was detained by GMP, Ms Iman has submitted dozens of subject access requests to the police. Every time she receives a new bit of information, she updates her meticulously kept timeline of the events. The missing footage that she has not yet received is the “final piece of the puzzle”, she says.
Ms Iman is determined to see this fight through till the end, in the hope that she can prevent this from happening to someone else.
“I can't change my experience, it's always going to be with me – but, 29 months later, [the officers] shouldn't be serving,” she said. “I know it's only a matter of time before there's a death in custody.”
She’s also determined to identify the alleged perpetrators so she can begin to heal from what happened.
“Since I began talking about this publicly, I’ve made a lot of friends who have also been victims of sex crimes,” she said.
“Child grooming victims, rape victims, and when I speak to them, they all know who raped them. They know the face, they know the names.
“I don't, and I need closure.”
On 26 July, GMP issued a statement regarding Ms Iman’s allegations, after they were initially reported by Sky News.
Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said: “I want to make it absolutely clear that we understand and share the concerns of the public regarding allegations against Greater Manchester Police which were aired in a television report today.
“Miss Iman’s allegations regarding her treatment in custody, in February 2021, are subject to an ongoing investigation. The force made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which instructed a GMP-led investigation.
“Having reviewed the content of the television report which highlights additional concerns, I have taken the decision to make another referral to the IOPC in order to assure Miss Iman and the public that all of her allegations will be rigorously and independently reviewed.”
An IOPC spokesperson added: “We received a complaint referral in May 2022 from Zayna Iman in relation to allegations about her treatment in police custody at Pendleton Police Station. Following careful consideration of the available information we directed the force to carry out a local investigation in July 2022.
“In light of the new information and concerns raised in media reports we have been in further discussions with Greater Manchester Police and agreed with them that they should submit a new referral so we can assess new information.
“We will be reviewing existing and additional information before determining if any further action is required from us.”
Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)