Greater Manchester Police closed an assault investigation after the suspect failed to answer his door, leaving the victim fearful and critical of the force.
Emily Geer, 33, filmed a man appearing to try to hit her as she walked to a university library in Manchester on April 16. She handed the footage to police, who she said were quickly able to identify the suspect.
But almost seven months later, she received a text saying officers had failed to interview or arrest him before the deadline for bringing a prosecution expired. They said this was because he 'did not engage' with letters, phone calls and knocks at his front door.
Victim's fear after case closure
Emily said: 'They told me they understood it might be disappointing. But disappointment was the last emotion I was feeling – I'm completely fearful because this person might remember me.'
'Now he knows he's not going to be arrested. He will know he's got away with it.'
The incident happened on Oxford Road in Manchester at around 7.20am. Emily, from Newton Heath, said she initially noticed a man behaving strangely towards another woman before he began targeting her.
Incident on Oxford Road
She said: 'I thought he was with the woman, but as they came closer to me, I realised she was very uncomfortable. He kept looking at her, and she was kind of standing next to me at one point.'
'I realised she was standing by me almost as some kind of protection. Then he started doing the same thing to me, being very creepy, staring and making weird gestures.'
Emily began filming the man on her mobile phone, fearing something was about to happen. She said: 'I asked him what he was doing and why he was staring at me. He went to try and hit my face, but luckily I raised my arm and blocked it.'
Police response and apology
She dialled 999 and later supplied officers with the video and a full statement. Emily said police were initially optimistic because the suspect was already known to them.
Greater Manchester Police said 'multiple attempts' had been made to arrange a voluntary interview, including letters, phone calls and visits to the suspect's home. When he failed to cooperate, officers attempted to arrest him.
But the force admitted 'operational demand and resource pressures' had prevented officers from successfully apprehending him. By then, the 'statutory time limit for commencing proceedings' had expired, leaving police unable to pursue the offence.
Emily, originally from Cheshire and a Master's student at The Open University, said she had since received a personal apology from GMP's chief constable. A GMP spokesperson said: 'We acknowledge that in this case, the investigation fell short of the standards our communities should expect.'
The force also acknowledged that Emily had been let down by its failure to apprehend the suspect and said she had not received the service she was entitled to expect.
