Summary
There is a small group of cases, initially treated as rape where there is no evidence of an assault: primarily where a third party makes the report and the victim subsequently denies; or where the victim suspects being assaulted while asleep, unconscious or affected by alcohol/drugs but the medical/forensic examination suggests no sex has taken place. How the police should designate such cases is problematic.
- Eight per cent of reported cases in the sample were designated false by the police.
- A higher proportion of cases designated false involved 16- to 25-year-olds.
- A greater degree of acquaintance between victim and perpetrator decreased the likelihood of cases being designated false.
- Cases were most commonly designated false on the grounds of: the complainant
admitting it; retractions; evidential issues; and non co-operation by the complainant.
- In a number of cases the police also cited mental health problems, previous allegations, use of alcohol/drugs and lack of CCTV evidence.
- The pro formas and the interviews with police officers suggested inconsistencies in the complainant’s account could be interpreted as ‘lying’.
- The authors’ analysis suggests that the designation of false allegations in a number of cases was uncertain according to Home Office counting rules, and if these were excluded, would reduce the proportion of false complaints to three per cent of reported cases.
- This is considerably lower than the estimates of police officers interviewed."

A gap or a chasm?: attrition in reported rape cases.

Liz Kelly