Greater Manchester Police statement following Coroner's verdict

“Tracy’s death was a very sad and terrible end to a difficult investigation and one that deeply affected the officers, who had befriended her and supported her during what was a traumatic time.

"We accept the findings and the verdict of the coroner and we will be reviewing our victim support strategies and process of partner referrals.

“Breaking the news of an acquittal to any victim of crime is difficult and every victim reacts to the news differently so there is no universal way to do this. The officers told Tracy in a way they thought best, based on their professional judgement and knowledge of her.

“Since Tracy’s death, all officers investigating rape and sexual assaults have been issued with a document which guides them to ensure that the correct support and strategies are in place for victims. We will be reviewing this process in light of this inquest.

“It is important to remember that police officers are not mental health practitioners and a number of referrals were made to professionals who are trained in this area and better placed to make an assessment on what support is needed.

"I acknowledge that whilst 10 referrals were made to Rochdale Council's Adult Services, including a referral following Tracy being informed of the news of the acquittal, more could have been done by GMP to ensure that action was being taken.

"However, we will continue to work with our partners at Rochdale Council to ensure that the lessons learned from this tragic case have been acted on.

“Greater Manchester Police puts the welfare and needs of victims of sexual crime at the heart of everything we do and we appoint specially trained officers to help all victims through what we know is a very difficult and emotional process.

“We recognise the bravery of anybody who reports a sexual crime and has the courage to give evidence in court. It is vital that victims continue to make reports and have the confidence in the criminal justice system to prosecute offenders.”