An alleged rape that triggered a series of protests in Epsom after police were unable to release descriptions of suspects was a 'confused report', police have said.
Officers in the Surrey town received reports that a woman was raped by several men who followed her home from a nightclub on 11 April. The incident sparked protests after detectives said the force did not have sufficient information to release descriptions of the suspects.
Police have now said a sexual offence did not take place and have closed the investigation. In an update on Thursday night, the force said it has now become clear that a woman sustained an accidental head injury prior to making a 'confused report', and recognised that initial police statements had caused 'concern amongst the community'.
They added she had given permission for the information to be shared, and continues to be supported by specialist officers.
Investigation details
The police investigation was triggered after a woman in her 20s said she was followed after leaving Labyrinth Epsom nightclub and then attacked. Detectives issued a series of statements urging witnesses to come forward, but later said it did not have sufficient information to release descriptions of the suspects.
The statement triggered several nights of protests in the town, with four people arrested after police said the demonstrations 'escalated to public disorder'. Epsom MP Helen Maguire said the protest had been hijacked by 'right-wing online activists' who wanted to 'fan the flames of divisiveness', the BBC reported.
Police statement
In a statement, Surrey Police said: '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.'
They added: '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.'
In August last year, police forces were told to share suspects' ethnicity and nationality with the public after authorities were accused of covering up offences carried out by asylum seekers.
