Rape allegations that sparked protests in Epsom got here after lady ‘made a confused report having sustained an unintentional head harm’ – and no sexual offence occurred, police say

The rape allegations which sparked protests in Epsom came after a woman ‘made a confused report having sustained an accidental head injury’, police have said.

Surrey Police originally said they received a report that a group of men followed a woman in her 20s from Labyrinth Epsom nightclub in the early hours of April 11 before she was allegedly assaulted outside Epsom Methodist church.

The force released an appeal for witnesses but said last week officers were not issuing any details about the suspects because they did not have ‘sufficient information’.   

In response, hundreds of protesters descended on the upmarket town’s centre to demand descriptions of anyone involved. 

Clashes took place between police and protesters with eggs and beer cans thrown at officers. 

On Thursday evening, police said it had ‘become clear’ that the woman ‘sustained an accidental head injury prior to making a confused report’.

They said they would be closing the investigation after a thorough probe had been carried out which ‘concluded that no sexual offence occurred on this occasion’.

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

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Epsom town centre last Wednesday, blocking the road and sparking traffic disruption amid false reports online that asylum seekers or immigrants were involved. 

A day later, around 200 residents gathered outside Epsom Methodist Church for the Hope for Epsom service to ‘demonstrate our love for the people of Epsom’.

Community leaders, police officers and clergy attended the service on Thursday and Reverend Catherine Hutton began with a message: ‘Today our community gathers to demonstrate our love for the people of Epsom.’ 

Rev Hutton said the service was a place for people to express ‘our outrage’ at the alleged rape, adding: ‘People of Epsom we are kind. Together we build the future of hopeful Epsom.’

A specially commissioned song of hope was sung before those attending were given the opportunity to lay stones at the front of the church.

Today, a Surrey Police spokesperson said: ‘A thorough investigation, including an extensive examination of CCTV footage of the woman’s movements, house-to-house enquiries, interviewing witnesses and forensic tests, has been carried out. 

‘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.

‘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.

‘Our local officers will maintain a visible presence in Epsom over the coming days so please speak to them if you have any concerns or questions.’