Enjoy rest of your holiday, FO told rape victim

THE Foreign Office “treated with contempt” a young British woman who was raped while on holiday in Turkey, the public services watchdog has found.

The victim, referred to as Ms B to protect her identity, was denied the opportunity to take legal action because she was given wrong information by the department, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said.

She even received a message from the vice-consul that said: “What you now have to do is to carry on with your holiday and enjoy it.”

The watchdog upheld a complaint from Ms B, finding that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) failings prevented her from bringing her attackers to justice. She said they did not believe her or take her seriously, adding: “I hope that lessons will be learnt and significant changes are made to their processes, hiring and training practices.”

An FCDO spokesman said: “We apologise for the distress caused and will immediately implement the ombudsman’s recommendations.”