Rape victim's family say police have failed them

Sep 26 2007 EXCLUSIVE by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

The grandmother of a girl allegedly raped in Liverpool tells Caroline Innes why the family is investigating the crime

THE grand-mother of a schoolgirl who says she was raped in a Liverpool alleyway last night struggled to hold back tears as she described her disappointment in Merseyside police’s handling of the case.

She told the Daily Post how her 15-year-old granddaughter had had difficulty sleeping and had repeatedly needed to take showers since the alleged attack, almost three weeks ago.

The child’s parents only found out something was wrong when she collapsed in school. She described a horrific attack as she walked to a local shop in Croxteth Park in broad daylight, on September 8.

She told relatives she was held down by three hooded males, and raped by a fourth, sometime between 1pm and 2pm, in an alley off Fordlea Way.

She said her attackers told her if she made any noise they would hurt her, and laughed as they walked away, leaving her lying on the ground.

The family immediately took the teenager to hospital and sought the help of Merseyside police.

But last night they said they had been so frustrated by the force’s apparent “lack of interest” in the case, they had taken matters into their own hands and embarked on a parallel investigation.

Relatives have personally knocked on doors to get witness statements, carried out their own interviews and discovered CCTV footage which they believe may show images of the attack- ers. But despite passing on this information to officers, the family claims witnesses have yet to be contacted by detectives.

Now, in a desperate bid to bring the alleged attackers to justice, the family said they have no option but to reveal details of the schoolgirl’s description of a vicious assault, in the hope witnesses will come forward.

Speaking from her south Liverpool home yesterday, the alleged victim’s grandmother said: “We have lost all faith we ever had in the police.

“My granddaughter is only an innocent child who has been subjected to the most horrendous attack and the police should be doing everything in their power to find those responsible and bring them to justice.”

She added: “This is absolutely killing us as a family.

“What sort of monsters could do this to her and then leave her lying on the floor while they walked away laughing?”

The family’s solicitor has lodged an official complaint with Merseyside Police claiming:

A female detective cancelled her appointment to interview the traumatised victim five minutes before she was due to meet her;

The owner of the house outside which the alleged rape happened has never been contacted by police;

A woman who believes she saw the alleged attackers minutes before the incident has not been interviewed by police;

The grandmother claims she was advised not to appear on local radio appealing for information as it may jeopardise the case;

The family had to telephone police to say a local convenience store had CCTV footage which may show the attackers, but they say the owners of the store have not been interviewed by police;

The family said police asked the victim to try and get a fellow pupil’s phone number for them as they believed she may have information relevant to the alleged assault.

The teenager has been medically examined and interviewed both at home and on video at a special “safe house” adjacent to a Merseyside police station.

Her clothes, including the underwear she was wearing during the alleged attack have also been taken for DNA evidence.

Last night Merseyside police stressed officers had conducted house to house enquiries in the area, and had also recovered some CCTV footage.

The force said it would send an officer to re-interview the family today to discuss their concerns, and it would also appoint a senior officer to review the investigation.

But last night the alleged victim’s grandmother said her family were living through a “horrific nightmare” made worse by what she described as the police’s “inadequate and unsympathetic” response.

She said she not only feared that as time went on the chances of bringing those responsible to justice were diminishing but was concerned the safety of other young girls in the area could be at risk.

In an emotional interview, with her granddaughter’s permission, she said: “Merseyside Police have been useless, incompetent and ineffectual.

“We have been treated appallingly.

“I cannot sum up how bad their response has been and their lack of communication is terrible.

“The police have no control any more in that area and it feels like they don’t want what happened to our granddaughter getting out as it puts them in a bad light.

“If this has not happened before then it will happen again as the police are letting them get away with it.”

She added: “We have been down to that area almost every day to speak to as many people as we can.

“The police have only spoke to a few households and even then have not told them the seriousness of this crime.

“We have spoken to so many people who have not been approached by the police and knew nothing about it.

“If I lived on that estate I would want to know that a rapist was on the loose.

“I have sat and watched youths who match the description of my granddaughter’s attackers congregate in this area but haven’t seen a single police patrol.

“Why are they not out looking for them?

“We are doing the police’s job for them.

“My granddaughter has been left traumatised by this.

“She is not sleeping and just keeps on showering all the time.

“And yet the police have asked her to try and get hold of a phone number of a girl they think might have information.

“Why can they not go down to the school and speak to the girl themselves?

“It is horrific to think that they are encouraging the victim of a rape, a child of 15, to gather evidence on their behalf.

“We have had to deal with officers who do not know the details of the case and have been spoken to so rudely and abruptly at times.

“How many other victims will have been treated like this by the police and not had the strength or family support to see it through.”

* * *

THE four men who are believed to be involved in the alleged rape are all thought to be in their teens to early 20s.

Three of them – including the alleged rapist – were wearing distinctive black North Face jackets and black tracksuit bottoms.

All had hats on which covered their faces but the alleged rapist had green eyes.

One of the youths who allegedly held the victim down while she was sexually assaulted, was wearing a grey tracksuit and a cap.

The victim thought she may have heard one of her attackers say her name as she walked down the alleyway off Fordlea Way immediately before she was grabbed and pushed to the ground.

* * *

CROXTETH councillor Phil Moffatt has been campaigning for the walkways and alleyways in the Croxteth Park area to be closed since the shooting of 11-year-old Rhys Jones on August 22.

Last night he said the alleged rape – in an alleyway close to where the schoolboy was killed – again highlighted the urgent need for the walkways to be closed to protect youngsters.

He said he was shocked to learn of the alleged attack as Merseyside Police had not informed him of the incident – despite regular meetings to discuss incidents in the area.

Last night, he pledged to make it his “personal business” to ensure police had operated properly in this case and were doing everything within their powers to find those responsible.

He said: “I am shocked that I have not been told about this incident as I only met with the police in the last few days.

“I am now going to make it my business to investigate the allegations which are being made to see if the police have behaved in the correct manner.

“This is a further reason as to why these rabbit warrens need to be closed.

“The gunman who shot poor Rhys escaped down one of these and now this has happened.

“People are now too scared to use them as low-lifes are roaming them. Our young people and our residents need protecting and I would now urge Merseyside Police to meet with residents to see for themselves the strength of feeling they have about these being closed.”

caroline innes