POLICE have condemned women who maliciously make false rape claims, accusing them of undermining their work with genuine victims.Their comments come after a 20-year-old Chelmsford woman received a suspended prison sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court after making made a false allegation of rape against her then boyfriend.
By Sharon Asplin
POLICE have condemned women who maliciously make false rape claims, accusing them of undermining their work with genuine victims.
Their comments come after a 20-year-old Chelmsford woman received a suspended prison sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court after making made a false allegation of rape against her then boyfriend.
Laura Halpin had pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and wasting police time and on Friday was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for two years, 140 hours of community service and made subject of a curfew from 8pm to 6am for six months.
Halpin, of Beeleigh Link, Chelmsford, made the allegation against her then boyfriend, a 20-year-old Chelmsford man, on September 17, 2006.
Pc Jo Barlow, of Chelmsford CID, said: “The police service has gone to great lengths to ensure that victims of rape and other sexual offences are dealt with sensitively and sympathetically.
“We have officers specially trained in interview techniques and forensic medical examiners to deal with them in premises set aside for the purpose.
“Women who make false and malicious allegations jeopardise the work we have done with other agencies to reassure victims of sexual assault that they can have confidence that they will be believed and their allegations properly investigated.”
An Essex Police spokesman said the boyfriend, who has not been named, was out celebrating his birthday with friends and it appeared Halpin took exception to this.
They exchanged text messages which resulted in her visiting his address in the early hours, where she was seen by his father. She then made her way towards her home but rang police from a telephone kiosk and alleged that she had been raped by the boyfriend.
He was arrested and spent more than 11 hours in custody before being released once Halpin admitted that her allegation was false.
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