Police confirm a female’s report of Epsom gang-rape was false
In a statement issued by Surrey Police the report by a female of being the victim of rape by several men in Epsom on Saturday 11th April near the Methodist Church, was without foundation. This is the Surrey Police statement in full:
“This is an update in relation to a report of a rape in Epsom which we received in the early hours on Saturday, 11 April.
A thorough investigation, including an extensive examination of CCTV footage of the woman’s movements, house to house enquiries, interviewing witnesses and forensic tests, has been carried out. Through this examination of all evidence, we can conclude that no sexual offence occurred on this occasion, and we are closing the investigation.
What has become clear is that a woman in her 20s during a night out in Epsom, sustained an accidental head injury prior to making a confused report.
The woman involved has given us permission to share this information with you and she continues to be supported by relevant services.
To be clear, we take every report of sexual offending seriously, and any such report is treated with sensitivity. To do this, it is imperative that the appropriate time is allowed to complete a thorough investigation and support is given to the complainant to progress enquiries at their own pace. This limits what information we are able to release publicly.
At the early stages of this investigation, we issued an appeal for any witnesses or information that could help us progress our enquiries and identify any potential suspects. There was a lack of information in our initial appeal particularly regarding potential persons of interest. This was because the descriptions given were vague and limited. We recognise this caused concern amongst the community. We are now confident that there was no offence, and there were no suspects.
Our local officers will maintain a visible presence in Epsom over the coming days so please speak to them if you have any concerns or questions.”
Related reports:
Epsom and the Perils of Instant Judgement
Surrey Police update on alleged sexual assault in Epsom
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Epsom to sit in protest against violence against women
You Are Not Alone, Epsom Stands Against Rape
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