Merseyside police apologise to woman deterred from sexual assault complaint

Local rape and sexual assault support group says nine out of 10' survivors report similar experiences

Merseyside police have apologised after an officer deterred a woman from pursuing a sexual assault complaint by saying that because there were no witnesses or CCTV there will be no realistic prospect of a prosecution".

The letter, seen by the Guardian, was sent last month by a detective sergeant before the complainant had been interviewed by officers.