Updated 4.30pm
POLICE IN ENGLAND have been forced to apologise to a teenager who was raped and agreed to pay her £20,000 in compensation after she was initially arrested by police officers.
The woman, who was 17 years old when she was raped in 2012, tried to kill herself after police told her she could face charges for lying about the attack.
Police officers initially did not believe her account and arrested her on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
The rapist was only brought to justice when the Crown Prosecution Service – the English equivalent of the DPP – ordered forensic tests on her clothes to be carried out again. The man who raped the teenager was arrested and is currently serving a five year sentence.
The head of the Hampshire Constabulary said that the force’s handling of the case was “very poor”.
“We are not proud of our initial response,” said Chief Superintendent David Powell.
The woman sued the force under the Human Rights Act and agreed an out-of-court settlement with the Hampshire Constabulary.
The victim’s mother told the BBC: “I’m glad that they have admitted that they were wrong”.
But… if it can happen to my daughter, how many more can it happen to?
One officer received a written warning for his misconduct and ten others have been given unspecified ‘management action’, David Powell said.
“We accept the way we initially treated this victim fell well below the standard we would expect,” he said. “The initial officers involved did not treat this victim in a way that she or any other victim would deserve to be treated”.
Originally published 1.30pm
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