Abuse victim speaks out after North Yorkshire Police run out of time to charge attacker

A domestic violence victim says she has lost "trust" in police after they ran out of time to bring charges against her abuser.

Kelsey - not her real name - reported her ex-partner to North Yorkshire Police after months of physical and emotional abuse.

He was arrested and a file was handed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which advised the force that he could be charged with multiple counts of assault.

But ITV News has seen evidence that officers failed to file the charges before the six-month time limit from the date when she made her initial statement, meaning the case had to be dropped.

Kelsey says the ordeal was so traumatic, she has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I don’t think I will ever ever be able to trust the police ever again now", she said.

"That’s it. You turn to the police for help, that’s what they’re there for, that is their job. And they say they take domestic abuse so seriously…in my eyes I don't believe a word.”

Kelsey says she was repeatedly attacked by her former partner during the course of a relationship lasting more than a year.

He was eventually convicted of a different charge because that offence was not subject to a time limit. He was given a suspended sentence.

However, the other claims were never heard in court.

Kelsey, who has a restraining order against her abuser, filed a formal complaint with police about the case on 10 September, but says she has still had no response.

In a statement North Yorkshire Police said: "A formal complaint has been submitted by the victim following her experience, and North Yorkshire Police was first made aware of the complaint on Wednesday 6 November.

"It is unacceptable that any victim of abuse has experienced further suffering through processes designed to support them. The victim’s complaint and experience will be thoroughly investigated. However, while this investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

North Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Jo Coles, said she was "devastated" to hear about the case.

She said: “Unfortunately, after 14 years of cuts to vital services, too many victims are being let down by a system that they should be able to rely on. It’s simply not good enough for victims to be let down in this way.

 “Across York and North Yorkshire we already a range of specialist services for female victims of crime to help them to cope and recover. But there’s a lot more work to do to improve the way in which the system works.

"The mayor [David Skaith] and I are absolutely committed to improving outcomes for victims across York and North Yorkshire; working with our policing and justice partners as well as with victim services so we can halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.“

Kelsey reported her story following an ITV Calendar ITV News Calendar investigation which revealed that at least 18 women were killed in the last five years by men who were already known to police forces in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told ITV News violence against women and girls has not been taken "seriously" by police "for far too long".

She said an "overhaul" of the way police respond to domestic abuse, stalking and assaults on females was needed.

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