London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

Merseyside police apologise to woman deterred from sexual assault complaint

Merseyside police apologise to woman deterred from sexual assault complaint

Local rape and sexual assault support group says ‘nine out of 10’ survivors report similar experiences
Merseyside police have apologised after an officer deterred a woman from pursuing a sexual assault complaint by saying that because there were no witnesses or CCTV “there will be no realistic prospect of a prosecution”.

The letter, seen by the Guardian, was sent last month by a detective sergeant before the complainant had been interviewed by officers.

Campaigners said it helped to explain why so few reports of sexual offences end up with anyone being charged, let alone convicted. Just 1.6% of rapes recorded by police in England and Wales in 2020 resulted in a charge or a summons.

After hearing about the case on a visit to Liverpool this week, Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party, described the approach as “completely wrong”.

He said it would deter others from reporting sexual offences: “If anybody thinks: ‘If I come forward, I’m going to be told it’s too difficult to do,’ then why am I going to come forward in the first place?”

In the letter, sent on 13 June, the police officer told the woman that “in order to proceed we would require a video interview from yourself for the formal complaint. After this is obtained we could look to interview the suspect and the evidence would be reviewed, however without anything supporting such as a witnesses [sic] or CCTV there will be no realistic prospect of a prosecution.”

Lorraine Wood, the operations manager at Rape and Sexual Assault Centre (Rasa) Merseyside, who is supporting the complainant, said: “The woman had not even given a statement, so how the police could make that decision is beyond me.”

She said the service often heard anecdotal reports of victims being encouraged to drop a case, “but this is the first time we have seen it in writing”.

Wood said the police needed to “look at the language that we use when speaking to victims, and need to respond so much better”.

She added: “Five years ago this would be a very rare thing that we would hear, especially from specialist officers. Now this is an everyday experience. Nine out of 10 victims tell us about this negative response that they hear.”

Assistant chief constable Chris Green said a senior officer had spoken to the complainant after the Guardian raised her case and “apologised for any additional distress our response has caused, and we are now working with her to ensure she gets the support she should have had from the beginning”.

He added: “Sadly, I can say that the victim did not receive the high level of service that the force expects and she deserved – this included a letter that did not demonstrate the level of sensitivity and empathy that we would expect.

“We wholly understand that when a victim comes forward to report an allegation of this nature that it can be painful and traumatic for them to recount the ordeal they have suffered.

“I want to reassure anyone who is a victim of rape or sexual abuse, that if they can find the strength to come forward and speak to us we will do everything within our power to bring the offenders to justice.”

Wood said the woman was very distressed to receive the letter and initially thought there was no point giving a video interview, but had now changed her mind, with the support of Rasa’s independent sexual violence adviser team.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×