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Hey everyone. I can't believe I've only just come across this forum and just wanted to thank you all for supporting each other through something a horrific hell that the average person will never understand. It is honestly such a big deal that you guys are here. Thank you so much.
Just wanted to ask for you guys' thoughts as I imagine there will be lots of parallel experiences...
My partner was accused of raping a girl he worked with back in 2009. They barely knew each other but they worked together, the group went out one night and they went back to his house and petted but there was no penetration because she said she was allergic to condoms. It was so insignificant and they knew each other so little (and it happened such a long time ago) that my partner could not even remember her name or face. Out of nowhere in March 2015 the police approached him and told him that an allegation of rape had been made against him (bearing in mind that my partner has moved around quite a bit since that job). It blew our lives apart. My partner has never been in trouble with the police and the thought of him raping someone is ludicrous, he is so gentle. Since then my partner has suffered with severe anxiety and depression, he still thinks of suicide pretty often and as you guys probably all know, it has been hanging over us and made life quite unbearable at times. In so many ways he has lost hope in all people and in all authorities and his anger explodes in lots of noticeable ways. It has had such an awful effect on our lives.
The police interviewed him April 2015. It was a voluntary interview and he was not placed on bail. Since then, on regular checks the police officer has just kept saying that 'enquiries are still ongoing' and she still has yet to 'review the file to submit it to her supervisor' for a decision. This is the same stock answer she has been giving since the start and it feels like it will never end.
It has been over a year. Even more appallingly, we were told that the allegation was made by this girl 3 years ago. This is a historic rape allegation and we were told that there is no evidence for her claim. When asked why she didn't report it all those years ago she has said that she 'blocked it out' and didn't tell anyone at the time because it was 'too traumatic' and she wanted to 'repress' it. So there is no corroborating evidence by way of statements from someone else, there will be no physical evidence because they didn't have sex (and if there was false physical evidence he would have been arrested or put on bail), and the witness statements from my partner's side support his innocence and cast doubt on this girl's character (one of my partner's colleagues knew her better and said she was mentally unstable and used to lie a lot and talk about her father sexually abusing her and talking to the devil.) Apparently this girl decided to come forward against my partner because she heard someone with my partner's name and it 'brought it all back'. ****ing ridiculous - and I can't even explain how angry we are that this girl has just come out with this out of the blue to ruin my partner's life for absolutely no reason.
Anyway. In sheer frustration we have managed to come upon an opportunity to get this matter looked into by a peer in the House of Lords but he said he will need a letter summarising the case and the police contact to date. Our solicitor has told the police officer this in order to try and push her and she has said that she will try to review the file by the end of next week. Only if she does not get 'live work demand' which will prevent her from working on this file (!!!!). And then she will be able to submit the file to her supervisor for review (and presumably a decision on whether to pass it to the CPS). Even then she has said 'please do not hold me to it' in terms of the timeline.
I am so ****ed off and fed up of this whole thing. It should not take more than a year just to review a file. We just want to move on with our lives.
I wanted to ask you guys what sort of time frame there generally is in terms of CPS decisions. If the police don't decide NFA, will it take as long as it already has for the CPS to make their decision on whether to prosecute?
I also wanted to ask whether you guys think that it will be an NFA situation, considering the historic nature of the claim, the lack of evidence, the obviously low priority of the case in the police's eyes, and the fact that my partner has not been on bail or arrested for over a year.
I really appreciate the time any of you have taken to read this and reply. Thank you. I feel less alone knowing you are here - and that many of you have survived this horrific ordeal.
Just wanted to ask for you guys' thoughts as I imagine there will be lots of parallel experiences...
My partner was accused of raping a girl he worked with back in 2009. They barely knew each other but they worked together, the group went out one night and they went back to his house and petted but there was no penetration because she said she was allergic to condoms. It was so insignificant and they knew each other so little (and it happened such a long time ago) that my partner could not even remember her name or face. Out of nowhere in March 2015 the police approached him and told him that an allegation of rape had been made against him (bearing in mind that my partner has moved around quite a bit since that job). It blew our lives apart. My partner has never been in trouble with the police and the thought of him raping someone is ludicrous, he is so gentle. Since then my partner has suffered with severe anxiety and depression, he still thinks of suicide pretty often and as you guys probably all know, it has been hanging over us and made life quite unbearable at times. In so many ways he has lost hope in all people and in all authorities and his anger explodes in lots of noticeable ways. It has had such an awful effect on our lives.
The police interviewed him April 2015. It was a voluntary interview and he was not placed on bail. Since then, on regular checks the police officer has just kept saying that 'enquiries are still ongoing' and she still has yet to 'review the file to submit it to her supervisor' for a decision. This is the same stock answer she has been giving since the start and it feels like it will never end.
It has been over a year. Even more appallingly, we were told that the allegation was made by this girl 3 years ago. This is a historic rape allegation and we were told that there is no evidence for her claim. When asked why she didn't report it all those years ago she has said that she 'blocked it out' and didn't tell anyone at the time because it was 'too traumatic' and she wanted to 'repress' it. So there is no corroborating evidence by way of statements from someone else, there will be no physical evidence because they didn't have sex (and if there was false physical evidence he would have been arrested or put on bail), and the witness statements from my partner's side support his innocence and cast doubt on this girl's character (one of my partner's colleagues knew her better and said she was mentally unstable and used to lie a lot and talk about her father sexually abusing her and talking to the devil.) Apparently this girl decided to come forward against my partner because she heard someone with my partner's name and it 'brought it all back'. ****ing ridiculous - and I can't even explain how angry we are that this girl has just come out with this out of the blue to ruin my partner's life for absolutely no reason.
Anyway. In sheer frustration we have managed to come upon an opportunity to get this matter looked into by a peer in the House of Lords but he said he will need a letter summarising the case and the police contact to date. Our solicitor has told the police officer this in order to try and push her and she has said that she will try to review the file by the end of next week. Only if she does not get 'live work demand' which will prevent her from working on this file (!!!!). And then she will be able to submit the file to her supervisor for review (and presumably a decision on whether to pass it to the CPS). Even then she has said 'please do not hold me to it' in terms of the timeline.
I am so ****ed off and fed up of this whole thing. It should not take more than a year just to review a file. We just want to move on with our lives.
I wanted to ask you guys what sort of time frame there generally is in terms of CPS decisions. If the police don't decide NFA, will it take as long as it already has for the CPS to make their decision on whether to prosecute?
I also wanted to ask whether you guys think that it will be an NFA situation, considering the historic nature of the claim, the lack of evidence, the obviously low priority of the case in the police's eyes, and the fact that my partner has not been on bail or arrested for over a year.
I really appreciate the time any of you have taken to read this and reply. Thank you. I feel less alone knowing you are here - and that many of you have survived this horrific ordeal.
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