Epsom ‘gang rape’ case closed as ‘woman made confused report after banging head’

A woman who initially claimed she was gang raped outside a church has admitted banging her head and making a confused report.

The case sparked mass disorder in Epsom, which saw police clash with protesters trying to vandalise migrant hotels, after the woman, in her 20s, reported being raped near a church in the early hours of Saturday, April 11.

But Surrey Police said they had concluded a thorough investigation tracking the woman’s movements leaving Labyrinth Epsom nightclub on CCTV and carried out forensic tests.

A spokesman said: ‘Through this examination of all evidence, we can conclude that no sexual offence occurred on this occasion, and we are closing the investigation.

‘What has become clear is that a woman in her 20s during a night out in Epsom, sustained an accidental head injury prior to making a confused report.

‘The woman involved has given us permission to share this information with you, and she continues to be supported by relevant services.’

This week, a mob marched through Epsom, burst into a Travelodge and egging a vulnerable adults home thinking they were migrant hotels.

It came after detectives had already said there was no evidence the incident took place as reported or that any immigrants or asylum seekers were involved.

Surrey police and crime commissioner Lisa Townsend said some of those involved in the unrest in Epsom on Monday had travelled from elsewhere to cause trouble, and warned them to stay away.

‘The mindless scenes we witnessed last night, where our police officers were targeted with missiles, were nothing short of shameful,’ she said.

‘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.’

Four people were arrested after the items were thrown at police in riot gear on Monday evening, and one man appeared to try to climb on top of a police van.

The spokesman added: ‘To be clear, we take every report of sexual offending seriously, and any such report is treated with sensitivity. 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 enquiries at their own pace.

‘This limits what information we are able to release publicly.
At the early stages of this investigation, we issued an appeal for any witnesses or information that could help us progress our enquiries 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 amongst the community. We are now confident that there was no offence, and there were no suspects.’

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

Helen Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for Epsom & Ewell, slammed the actions which she said terrorised residents.

‘This week, a mob vandalised a supported living home for vulnerable adults, terrifying the residents within,’ she wrote.

‘The following morning, I joined local volunteers to clear up the mess and show what this community is really made of.’