Laura Bishop has waived her right to anonymity to speak about the abuse she suffered after her husband drugged her and invited other men to rape her while she was unconscious. Laura, from Bristol, is speaking out to raise awareness and hopes one day to uncover the identities of the seven other men involved.
The Night of the Attack
Laura recalls "controlling" aspects of her relationship with Daniel Bishop, but had no idea what he was capable of. After losing consciousness while drinking a gin and tonic made by her then-partner, Laura woke hours later to a stranger raping her. It was the start of a life-changing realisation that her husband had facilitated the crime, as well as perpetrating rape himself.
Sharing what she recalls in an ITV Exposure programme, Laura said she was sitting at the breakfast bar in her kitchen with her husband when he suggested they have a drink together. She said: "He poured me a gin and tonic. I couldn't see what he was doing. I never thought I'd need to watch what he did with my drink."
"I don't remember finishing it. I woke up on the bed. Completely undressed. Naked. And being raped by a stranger. I immediately looked to the right and Dan was stood there, my husband was stood there in the doorway." She added: "And I can remember the first thing I thought was, I'm going to be strangled and murdered. But I started moving myself very quickly back up the bed and the man got up and ran off."
Conviction and Investigation
Daniel Bishop admitted to rape and administering a substance with intent to commit a sexual offence in court. Bristol Crown Court heard that he obtained the GHB drug from a Dutch website. He pleaded guilty to three rapes, three attempted rapes, a sexual assault, and administering a noxious substance. He was jailed for 14 years and eight months.
Speaking of the lasting effects of the abuse, Laura said: "If you're a kind and decent person, your mind isn't going to sit there imagining all of these horrors. You couldn't fabricate it, you couldn't make this story up in your head if you tried. Despite how abusive he was, I never once thought that he was drugging me."
For Laura, his conviction did not bring an end to the questions: Who were the other men? How many had there been? And why had they not been caught? Desperate for answers, Laura began investigating her own abuse, gathering evidence and recording telephone conversations with her former husband while he was in prison.
Discovery of the Full Extent
In one recording, Bishop admitted that the stranger Laura had woken up to find raping her was not the only man he had invited into their home. Bishop told her it was seven men in total, on eight different occasions, with one man returning for a second time. Bishop also admitted livestreaming the abuse online. The men involved have still not been caught and still walk free.
Laura believes crucial opportunities to gather evidence by Avon and Somerset Police were missed, including the bed on which she was attacked not being forensically examined for years, despite her requests. She also claims CCTV footage from the roads around her house wasn't fully collected. She said: "I want justice, from the evidence that was available that night I woke."
In a statement from Avon and Somerset Police, they told ITV News: "We're sorry Laura feels let down by aspects of the overall investigation. One man has received a significant prison sentence for the crimes he committed against her, but a thorough investigation continues, led by specially-trained detectives. We will always respect a victim's decision as to whether they wish to waive their automatic right to anonymity."
The statement added: "Identification of the offenders has been a priority since the outset. This was not delayed by the investigation into offences committed by Daniel Bishop. Laura's bedsheets were seized in August 2021 but not tested until April 2023. An internal review found no CCTV opportunities were missed. A number of digital enquiries have been completed to ensure all available evidence is collected. This includes in response to information provided by the victim and other parties. As this evidence forms part of the live investigation, we are unable to comment any further."
The statement continued: "In recent years policing has undergone a fundamental transformation to the way rape investigations are carried out through the rollout of national programme Operation Soteria. The perpetrators of rape and serious sexual offences are placed at the forefront of our investigations, and this approach ensures victims are believed and better supported throughout with enhanced engagement. We are clear - the victim is not on trial or under investigation."
Laura has shared her story in ITV's Exposure programme, Laura's Story: The Stranger in my Bed, which airs tonight (Thursday) at 10.45pm on ITV and ITVX.
