17-year-old girl rape report was false

August 26, 2012, 1:05 pm

Police investigating after a 17-year-old girl reported being raped in Whitefield yesterday, Saturday 25 August 2012, have now discovered that it was a false report.

Detective Inspector Simon Davies, of Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “On this occasion, the rape that was reported to have taken place in Whitefield on Saturday has proven to be a false account.

“However, this does not change the fact that we take all reports of rape seriously and investigate thoroughly and without prejudice, which can be demonstrated by our significant investment in relation to this report. Greater Manchester Police encourages anyone who has been a victim of rape or any sort of sexual abuse to come forward, but I must also stress the importance of providing police with genuine reports due to the time we invest in investigating these cases.

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“I hope this incident does not deter victims from coming forward to police. We have specially-trained officers who give a tremendous amount of time and support to anyone who has been a victim of rape and we work extremely closely with the St Marys Sexual Assault Referral Centre. We can not only help you, but also put your attacker behind bars.”

Anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault can contact Greater Manchester Police on 0161 872 5050 or 999 in an emergency. GMP has specially trained officers in place to provide a first class response to victims and help support them through the criminal justice process.

St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, can also be contacted on 0161 276 6515. This provides a comprehensive and coordinated forensic, counselling and medical aftercare service to anyone in Greater Manchester who has experienced rape or sexual assault. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and people can access them either as a self-referral or via Greater Manchester Police.