Woman’s right to review over rape case ends
The decision not to charge a man arrested in connection with a rape investigation in Sunderland has been upheld following a review by a legal expert.
A woman alleged she was subjected to a sex attack at an address in Peel Street, Hendon, overnight between Saturday, September 3, and Sunday, September 4, last year.
Six men were arrested as part of an investigation by Northumbria Police, which put together a file of evidence for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in relation to one suspect for a single allegation of rape and assault.
However, the CPS took the decision there was “insufficient evidence” to proceed with any court case.
The woman was then given the opportunity to ask for the evidence to be reviewed under the CPS Victim’s Right to Review (VRR) schem, with leading police officers “ac- tively encouraging” her to take up the offer.
That was accepted in June, with the CPS stating a final decision has now been made and no further review will be made.
The CPS has also previously addressed “damaging claims” and “inaccurate articles” written about the incident, largely via social media. Demonstrations have been held in the city in support of the woman and a petition was handed into police.
The Echo reported on the assault allegations when they were first investigated by the police and the subsequent arrests and decision not to charge anyone.
We have received numerous inquiries asking why we have not covered the gatherings in the city centre.
However, the woman who made the report, contacted the Echo on more than one occasion to insist nothing is reported about the matter.
In its latest statement, a CPS spokesman said: “A case involving an alleged rape on Peel Street, Sunderland, in September 2016 has been reviewed under the CPS Victim’s Right to Review (VRR) scheme.
“The complainant in this case has been provided with a detailed explanation of this decision in writing and her legal representative has also met CPS prosecutors to discuss the outcome.”
The service has said CCTV and forensic evidence “significantly undermined” any assertion the complainant had been kidnapped or drugged or that multiple assailants had been involved in attack of the nature which has been suggested online.
Northumbria Police’s Southern Area Commander Ged Noble has previously said: “Northumbria Police fully and properly investigated the matter and ensured the victim was treated with compassion, expertly supported and kept updated.”
“All the evidence provided was reviewed in full” CPS SPOKESMAN