Merseyside Police faced criticism after an officer sent a letter to a woman 'deterring' them from making a sexual assault complaint.
The letter, seen by The Guardian, was sent by a detective sergeant in June, telling the woman "there will be no realistic prospect of a prosecution" because there were no witnesses or CCTV. It left the woman feeling distressed, according to Lorraine Wood, operations manager of RASA (Rape and Sexual Assault) Merseyside, which is supporting her.
Merseyside Police apologised to the woman after The Guardian raised her case, but it fuelled concerns about the policing of sexual offences. Although this is the first time RASA has seen such a comment in writing, Lorraine said they've often heard reports of victims being encouraged to drop complaints, with "nine out of 10" victims saying they get a negative response. She said: "The woman had not even given a statement, so how the police could make that decision is beyond me."
