Advertisement

  1. National

Police chief demands review after rape complainant's death

Manchester's police and crime commissioner calls for an urgent "root and branch reform" of how alleged victims and witnesses are treated after a woman fell to her death from a Rochdale car park days after a man accused of raping her was acquitted.

View all 10 updates ›

PCC calls for 'root and branch review' after death

A "root and branch review" of how victims and witnesses in trials are treated is "urgently needed" after the death of Tracy Shelvey, Greater Manchester's Police and Crime Commissioner has said.

The 41-year-old fell from the roof of a car park on Monday morning just a few days after a man was cleared of raping her.

Tony Lloyd said lessons had to be learned from the incident:

This can't go on - a root and branch review of how victims and witnesses are treated is urgently needed.

A chain of vulnerability exists from the moment someone reports an incident to police, and it can break at any point.

We need to ensure that victims and witnesses are surrounded by support from when they report to police, throughout the investigation, the court process and - critically - after trial is over, whether the accused is found guilty or innocent.

And we all need to work much better together to ensure that victims and witnesses get the support they need, when they need it.

Greater Manchester Police said the matter had been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and a full investigation will be launched to establish the circumstances surrounding Ms Shelvey's death.

Read: Family 'proud' of woman who died after rape trial

More top news