Surrey Police have announced they will close the investigation into an alleged rape outside a church in Epsom, saying they are 'confident there was no offence'. The force received a report on 11 April that a woman in her 20s had been raped near Labyrinth nightclub in the early hours. However, following a thorough investigation, officers concluded the woman had suffered an accidental head injury after a night out, leading to a confused report.
The initial appeal for witnesses lacked specific descriptions of potential suspects, which the force acknowledged caused community concern. 'We recognise this caused concern among the community. We are now confident that there was no offence, and there were no suspects,' a police statement said. Detectives conducted extensive CCTV analysis, house-to-house inquiries, witness interviews, and forensic tests before reaching this conclusion.
The allegation had sparked public anger and protests in Epsom, with some protesters demanding the release of suspects' ethnicities. On Monday, eggs and beer cans were thrown at police during clashes, leading to four arrests. Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend condemned the disorder as 'shameful', noting that some participants had travelled from elsewhere to cause trouble. 'My message to those intent on stirring up trouble under the guise of legitimate protest is: stay away from Epsom,' she said.
The force reiterated its commitment to treating all reports of sexual offending seriously, but emphasised the need for time to complete thorough investigations before releasing information publicly. The protest was promoted online by Danny Tommo, a former associate of rightwing activist Tommy Robinson.
