Surrey Police to Close Rape Inquiry That Sparked Epsom Disorder
Surrey police have announced that they will close the investigation into an alleged rape outside a church in Epsom, which had sparked widespread public disorder. The force stated that they are now "confident there was no offence" and condemned the "shameful" behaviour of protesters.
The investigation was launched on Saturday, 11 April, after a report that a woman had been raped near a church in the early hours of the morning, following her departure from the Labyrinth nightclub in Epsom. Public anger grew over the police force's initial decision not to release the ethnicity of any suspects, leading to protests in the town.
In an update on Thursday, the force explained that after a "thorough investigation," it became apparent that the woman, in her 20s, had suffered an accidental head injury after a night out, which led to her making a confused report. The police statement read: "At the early stages of this investigation, we issued an appeal for any witnesses or information that could help us progress our inquiries and identify any potential suspects. There was a lack of information in our initial appeal particularly regarding potential persons of interest. This was because the descriptions given were vague and limited. We recognise this caused concern among the community. We are now confident that there was no offence, and there were no suspects."
Detectives conducted an "extensive examination" of CCTV footage showing the woman's movements, along with house-to-house inquiries, witness interviews, and forensic tests. The force emphasised that they take every report of sexual offending seriously and treat each report with sensitivity. They added: "To do this, it is imperative that the appropriate time is allowed to complete a thorough investigation and support is given to the complainant to progress inquiries at their own pace. This limits what information we are able to release publicly."
During the protests on Monday, eggs and beer cans were thrown at police officers, leading to clashes. Surrey police and crime commissioner Lisa Townsend condemned these actions as "shameful." She stated: "The mindless scenes we witnessed last night where our police officers were targeted with missiles were nothing short of shameful." She noted that some of those involved in the unrest had travelled from elsewhere to cause trouble and warned them to stay away. "I am a firm believer in people's right to lawful protest, but sadly, some of those present in Epsom yesterday stepped way beyond that line and the type of behaviour we witnessed will not be tolerated. The reality is that a number of those in Epsom last night were not local and have come into the town from elsewhere, clearly with their own agenda. My message to those intent on stirring up trouble under the guise of legitimate protest is: stay away from Epsom. If you involve yourself in disorder, the police will take robust action and I expect you to face the full force of the law."
Four people were arrested after items were thrown at police in riot gear on Monday evening, and one man attempted to climb on top of a police van. This was the second protest in the town following the rape allegation. On 15 April, footage on social media showed a large crowd of protesters in the town centre, with dozens of police officers in helmets and shields, as objects were thrown at them. The protest was promoted online by Danny Tommo, a former associate of rightwing activist Tommy Robinson.
