Rape victim accused of sexual assault.

[Thisnameisanalias]

Ok, I’ll try to give all of the details here as I have them and will try my best not to do any drip feeding. Some details will be vague as I cannot remember exact details and also to protect identities.

A young relation of mine is in her late teens. When she was around 12 she was raped at a relatives house by a friend of the relative who was visiting the property. The house where it happened was an unsafe environment and the 12 year old girl had been allowed to have both alcohol and drugs (cocaine) by the resident of the property on this and other occasions. The rapist (after a long process) was convicted. Think that the conviction was at least a couple of years ago now. The resident of the property (relative) wanted nothing to do with the whole thing and was, to put it lightly, unsupportive.

Since this event, the then 12 year old girl (now in late teens) has really struggled, been expelled from school, had run ins with the police, has extreme anxiety, had multiple attempts to take her own life likely with other, as of yet undiagnosed mental health issues. She has recently (finally) looked at accessing help and support via her GP and has been diagnosed with PTSD and been prescribed anti depressants with further diagnosis pending.

Very recently, the police have been in touch via a vague note that was sent through the post asking her to contact them. The handwritten note looked as though it was likely related to her case (for example, compensation following the conviction is still outstanding), but when she managed to speak to an officer, it turns out that she is actually being called in to the police station next week for an interview due to an accusation of sexual assault against HER from what appears to be the same address. She would have been around 11 or 12 at the time of the accusation. There are no further details at all other than what I have included. Just to mention (because literally no other suggestion as to what’s going on, so considering all options) there were two younger children at the address who would now (I think) be approaching early teens. I haven’t spoken to her directly, so have no idea if she knows what could be being alluded to.

As mentioned previously, the female victim who is the subject of this post is very vulnerable, has PTSD and is potentially at risk of suicide. Just attending the interview alone will be traumatising for her.

I’d really hope that, with the information before them, the police would understand that she is a vulnerable person and a victim herself, but I just don’t know that they won’t be interviewing her as an adult who they assume is fully able to deal with the pressure of an interview environment about this particular subject.

Am I unreasonable to ask you what support is available/could be offered in this situation (first and foremost for during the itself interview, but also for anything that may follow this)?

Thank you.

Hi OP.
Jesus that’s horrific.
Here are my suggestions: just to add I’ve reported SA to the police so I’m sort of familiar with the territory.

1. Is she actually sure it’s from the police?
2. Is there a crime reference number?
3. Was the phone number for the police station?
4. Tell her absolutely not to go in voluntarily.
5. She will need representation if she’s being interviewed as she’s so vulnerable. Even if it’s just an appropriate adult but ideally a social worker, as well as a legal representative.

This sounds like BS and I’d worry it’s not actually the police

I mean she can attend once she’s had legal advice but don’t go before.
Can she get a duty solicitor?

How old is she?

If she is vulnerable she can ask for an appropriate adult.

Personally, I wouldn't go without a solicitor present.

If she is 17 or under - she will need an appropriate adult.
She can also request a solicitor for any interview.

You can still be interviewed as a voluntary attender at the police station and have the solicitor and app present.

Depends what the allegation is - but it will need to be investigated and to get her account is part of that investigation.

Thank you so much for the responses.

To answer a few questions, she is now over 18. The correspondence was definitely from the police (police station compliments slip with police contact details and she has since spoken to them confirming).

I can’t speculate on the accusation at all, because we literally know nothing, but regardless of what it is, it goes without saying that it needs to be investigated.

She’s apparently being assigned a solicitor, which is good news, but the worry is that she won’t be treated sensitively with her past in mind. She is technically an adult, but by no means is she adult in the way that she conducts herself and is immature for her age. She won’t even use the phone to make a phone call on her own behalf because she’s so anxious.

How would an appropriate adult work in this scenario? Could a social worker support her if she’s over 18?

@Beaglesonlyplease it really is horrific, sorry for the content of the OP.

She should attend voluntarily as this is more likely to avoid any need for them to arrest her. She will be entitled to a solicitor, who should ask for information to be disclosed prior to the interview.
If she has any diagnoses or is on medication she should tell the officer that she is vulnerable and in need of an appropriate adult during any interview. Maybe a GP or Social Worker, if she has one, would provide a letter to say this or she could ask to be assessed by the custody nurse or duty doctor? It may be best for the officer to be told that she is vulnerable and in need of an appropriate adult in advance of the day she is to attend.

She could have an appropriate adult based on vulnerability.

www.appropriateadult.org.uk/information/what-is-an-appropriate-adult#who

@Pardon44 the link is really helpful, thank you for this.