Rape victim told ‘nothing would come’ of police complaint gets £8,000 in damages
A woman has received an £8,000 payout after police officers ‘failed in their duty of care’ following her report of a rape.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had advised her to visit her alleged attacker and ‘set the record straight’.
She said the experience left her feeling so upset she wanted to take her own life.
Her initial call was made to police following a night out with friends in July 2019.
She had woken up in a strange house, completely naked and in excruciating pain at around 5am.
Feeling dizzy and fearing her drink may been spiked the night before, she made her way home and immediately rang the police.
But officers did not take a statement or even arrange forensic tests.
They left her home after just 20 minutes and were described as ‘very dismissive’ of her complaint.
She told BBC Radio Manchester: ‘It was such a strange feeling the next morning, almost an out-of-body experience. I knew something wasn’t right. I was so scared.
‘[A female] officer took me into a room on my own and advised me that if it went to court nothing would come of it.
‘Then we went back in the other room and in front of everyone she said to my husband, “I recommend you go to him [the alleged attacker] and see if you can set the record straight”.’
Unhappy with the response of the officers, the woman later called the police again and insisted on a proper investigation.
It was only then – after an 11-hour wait – that she was examined.
She has shared her story due to fears that many other victims ‘may be being ignored’.
GMP this week agreed to pay £8,000 in damages following the incident.
The force also confirmed a 43-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the woman’s case.
A GMP spokesperson said: ‘We always strive to place victim care at the heart of everything we do and we expect our officers and staff to uphold the highest standards, and whenever we fall short of expectations it is important it is reported so we can take appropriate action wherever necessary.’
The Professional Standards Branch is conducting an investigation into the case.
The woman’s solicitor, Nicola Bailey Gibbs, described the handling of her client’s case as ‘a shocking error of judgement’ and that ‘trained police officers completely failed in their duty of care.’
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