Police dismissed woman’s rape claim as ‘b****cks’ and refused to investigate four years before same man allegedly struck again
Woman paid £12,000 in compensation after suspect walks free
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Police dismissed a woman’s rape allegation as “b*****cks” four years before the same man allegedly struck again, it has emerged.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, reported being raped at a house party in November 2011.
Greater Manchester Police officers did not record the alleged crime or investigate properly and in 2015 the same man allegedly raped a second victim.
The suspect did not face trial because that complainant was too ill to give evidence, and the first alleged victim has now been paid £12,000 in compensation.
“He walked free again, all because the police failed to listen to me and take me seriously the first time,” the woman said, in a statement released through her solicitors.
“I think it is absolutely appalling. They have had two chances to stop this man and he is still out there now.”
The case was revealed after the proportion of recorded rapes prosecuted in England and Wales plummeted to 1.5 per cent.
In March, the High Court refused permission for a legal challenge accusing the Crown Prosecution Service of changing its practices to go ahead.
The Centre for Women’s Justice is challenging the ruling and a government review of the handling of rape cases across the criminal justice system is underway.
The woman in the Greater Manchester Police case said the force had “ruined my life” twice over, both with its handling of the 2011 investigation and “bringing the nightmare back” years later.
Two weeks before her wedding, in July 2016, officers knocked on her door to inform her that the man she accused had been subject to a new allegation of rape.
The woman was told that the recording of her original police interview had been lost and she would have to relive the experience again.
“I had tried to put it behind me, but in an instant it was back over my life,” she said.
“I started drinking heavily when it all came back as I just couldn’t cope and my marriage didn’t survive it. My husband left me and when he did he said that I’d not been the same person from the day the police knocked on my door. How could I be?”
During the investigation into the second alleged rape, officers discovered that the first report had never been recorded as a crime and an investigation by the police watchdog was triggered.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IPOC), which uncovered emails between a male detective sergeant (DS) and a female police constable (PC) mocking the woman and the legitimacy of her accusations.
In one email exchange, the DS wrote that there was “no crime submitted due to it all being b*****cks” and the PC replied: “Sure, forensics won’t even authorise it.”
The IOPC also discovered that both officers had dismissed the conclusions of a forensic report that suggested further DNA testing was required, due to traces of semen being found on the woman’s clothing.
In sarcastic emails, the DS mocked the complainant’s description of what she suffered during the attack.
When questioned by the IOPC, he admitted that he had not believed the woman, while the female officer claimed she felt it would have been hard to secure a conviction.
The police watchdog concluded that four officers had cases to answer for misconduct relating to failing to properly investigate an allegation of rape and failing to record it as a crime.
The DS received a written warning. The female police officer, who was subsequently promoted to the rank of detective constable, resigned before her scheduled misconduct hearing.
Two other police officers involved in the case left Greater Manchester Police before IOPC investigations were launched.
The complainant said her experience had “totally killed any confidence or respect for the police”.
“I find it absolutely disgusting that the police judged me,” she said. “They took one look at me and made an assumption because I had been drunk and because of the house party I was at, and perhaps the people I was with at the time.
“The fact that a female police officer can act like that towards another woman who has turned to them for help is most shocking of all.”
Her solicitor Victoria Richardson, manager of civil liberties at Hudgell Solicitors, said the “appalling case” was one fo the worst examples she had seen.
“Had the same man not faced further allegations four years after our client gave her account, this shocking police behaviour would not have been uncovered,” she added.
“Quite simply, because this lady could not provide a clear description of what happened due to drinking at a party, they completely dismissed her account. That mindset of officers meant they were then blind to the details in a forensic report which actually called for further investigations.
“Policing standards state that officers must not make judgements about the credibility of victims if their state of mind is affected by alcohol, but sadly this appears a case where that happened from the very start.”
Greater Manchester Police apologised for the distress caused to the woman and said its processes had “changed significantly”.
“We would like to reassure the public that the actions of those involved don’t reflect the diligent and professional manner our staff display each and every day,” a spokesperson added.
“We are acutely aware of the sensitivities involved when we receive such reports and have teams of specialist officers ready to progress cases and find those responsible.”
If you have been affected by rape or sexual abuse, you can contact Rape Crisis on 0808 802 9999 or visit rapecrisis.org.uk