Surrey police to close rape inquiry that sparked Epsom disorder | UK news

An investigation into reports of a rape outside a church in Epsom, which caused widespread public uproar, will be closed as police are “confident there is no crime”.

Surrey police received a report on Saturday, April 11, that a woman was raped near a church in the early hours of the morning after leaving Labyrinth nightclub in Epsom.

There was public anger after the police did not reveal the ethnicity of any suspect, leading to protests in the town.

In an update on Thursday, police said after a “thorough investigation” it became clear that the woman in her 20s suffered an accidental head injury following a night out, leading to a mixed report.

“During the early stages of this investigation, we appealed for any witnesses or information that could help us further our investigations and identify potential suspects,” they said in a statement.

“There was a lack of information in our initial call, particularly regarding potential contacts. This was because the descriptions provided were vague and limited.

“We know this has caused concern among the community. We are now confident there is no crime and there are no suspects.”

Police added that its detectives carried out a “comprehensive review” of CCTV footage of the woman’s movements, as well as house-to-house inquiries, interviews with witnesses and forensic tests.

“To be clear, we take every report of a sexual offense seriously and treat such reports with sensitivity,” the police department said in a statement.

“To do this, it is imperative that appropriate time is allowed for a thorough investigation to be completed and the complainant is supported to progress investigations at their own pace.

“This limits the information we can release publicly,” police said.

Eggs and beer cans were thrown at police during clashes between officers and protesters on Monday.

These actions were condemned as “disgraceful” by Surrey police and crime commissioner Lisa Townsend.

“The mindless scenes we witnessed last night of our police officers being targeted with missiles were disgraceful,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

He added that some of those involved in the mayhem had come from other places to cause trouble and warned them to stay away.

“I absolutely believe in people’s lawful right to protest, but unfortunately some of those in Epsom yesterday went well beyond that line and the type of behavior we witnessed will not be tolerated,” he said.

“The truth is that some of those in Epsom last night were not local and had come into the city from elsewhere, clearly with their own agenda.

“My message to those intent on causing havoc under the guise of legitimate protest is this: stay away from Epsom.

“If you get yourself into turmoil, the police will take harsh action and I expect you to face the full force of the law.”

Four people were arrested on Monday evening after the items were thrown at police in riot gear and one man was found trying to climb onto the top of a police van.

This was the second protest held in the city following the rape allegation.

Images posted on social media on April 15 showed a large crowd of protesters gathering in the city centre.

Dozens of police officers were seen wearing helmets, holding shields and what appeared to be objects thrown at them.

The protest was promoted online by Danny Tommo, a former associate of right-wing activist Tommy Robinson.