A British police force has agreed to pay £20,000 ($31,000) in an out-of-court settlement to a rape victim after officers arrested her following their failure to properly investigate her complaint, a report said Friday.
The BBC said Hampshire Constabulary had reached an agreement with the woman, named only as Laura, after she began proceedings against the force under the Human Rights Act.
The police force said it had apologised to the victim and her mother for its handling of the case and had "changed its internal processes" for dealing with rape investigations.
The victim's mother -- given the pseudonym "Jackie" -- said she was horrified by the way her daughter, aged 17 at the time of the rape in 2012, had been treated.
Two months after making her rape complaint, the woman was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice following forensic tests on her clothes that failed to show any results, the BBC said.
Laura had told officers she believed there was forensic evidence on her T-shirt that implicated her attacker. The police did not carry out a full test and failed to find any evidence, the woman's mother said.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ordered retests and her attacker was eventually jailed for five years in 2013.
It was not until six months after being arrested that Laura finally learned the charges against her had been lifted.
Speaking to the broadcaster, the woman's mother explained that Laura had begun self-harming again and attempted suicide twice after her arrest.
"I was horrified. You expect them to do everything they can to put the rapist away," Jackie said. "She just couldn't believe she wasn't believed."
Jackie said she believed the officers' attitude to her daughter was influenced by the fact she had been in trouble with the police in the past.
In a statement released by Hampshire police, chief superintendent David Powell admitted the initial handling of the case had been "very poor" and said internal processes had been changed.
"We are grateful that this victim gave us a second chance to put this investigation right and ensure this individual was punished. He is now serving a five-year sentence and is on the sexual offenders' register."
The force confirmed that one officer had received a written warning for misconduct, while 10 had received management action. Three others were allowed to resign or retire during the internal investigation, the BBC said.
A British police force has agreed to pay £20,000 ($31,000) in an out-of-court settlement to a rape victim after officers arrested her following their failure to properly investigate her complaint, a report said Friday.
The BBC said Hampshire Constabulary had reached an agreement with the woman, named only as Laura, after she began proceedings against the force under the Human Rights Act.
The police force said it had apologised to the victim and her mother for its handling of the case and had “changed its internal processes” for dealing with rape investigations.
The victim’s mother — given the pseudonym “Jackie” — said she was horrified by the way her daughter, aged 17 at the time of the rape in 2012, had been treated.
Two months after making her rape complaint, the woman was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice following forensic tests on her clothes that failed to show any results, the BBC said.
Laura had told officers she believed there was forensic evidence on her T-shirt that implicated her attacker. The police did not carry out a full test and failed to find any evidence, the woman’s mother said.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ordered retests and her attacker was eventually jailed for five years in 2013.
It was not until six months after being arrested that Laura finally learned the charges against her had been lifted.
Speaking to the broadcaster, the woman’s mother explained that Laura had begun self-harming again and attempted suicide twice after her arrest.
“I was horrified. You expect them to do everything they can to put the rapist away,” Jackie said. “She just couldn’t believe she wasn’t believed.”
Jackie said she believed the officers’ attitude to her daughter was influenced by the fact she had been in trouble with the police in the past.
In a statement released by Hampshire police, chief superintendent David Powell admitted the initial handling of the case had been “very poor” and said internal processes had been changed.
“We are grateful that this victim gave us a second chance to put this investigation right and ensure this individual was punished. He is now serving a five-year sentence and is on the sexual offenders’ register.”
The force confirmed that one officer had received a written warning for misconduct, while 10 had received management action. Three others were allowed to resign or retire during the internal investigation, the BBC said.