Rape victim’s video released as part of safe night out campaign

West Mercia Police has released a video of a rape victim giving an account of her ordeal as part of the force’s campaign to reduce serious sexual crime over the summer.

In the video, the woman shares her story with others to encourage women to cut down on how much they drink on a night out. The footage can be viewed on the force website as part of the recently launched Safe Night Out Campaign.

The campaign encourages young people not to make themselves vulnerable by drinking too much on a night out and becoming either a victim or offender of a sexual offence.

Detective Superintendent Ivan Powell, force crime manager, said: “The victim gives a very honest account in this video about how she feels alcohol played a part in what happened to her. She has agreed to share her account to – in her own words – ‘make others aware of the dangers of drinking that much’.

“What had started out as a good night for this young woman turned into a nightmare when in the space of a few hours, she became the victim of a serious sexual assault. While undoubtedly the offender is to blame, the woman believes that drinking to excess had an influence on what happened that night.

“Her account ends with her saying that she has now learnt to drink an amount she is ‘comfortable’ with, rather than to the point where she has ‘lost control’ – and that is exactly the message behind our Safe Night Out campaign.”

As part of the campaign, extra officers have been on duty at weekends in town and city centres, speaking to young people on their way out for the night to encourage them not to drink too much, to stay in control, keep out of trouble and to look after their friends.

Working with key partners in the night-time economy, officers were also around at the end of the night to ensure that women knew who they are leaving the club with, while also seeing that those who had too much to drink were put into taxis so they got home safely.

West Mercia Police has also been using special drug-detecting equipment to target drug-related and violent crime as part of its zero-tolerance campaign.

Deployed initially in Oswestry, the drug-detecting equipment was used to forensically test for Class A drugs at pubs and clubs while a ‘knife arch’ metal detector was used to check for weapons on customers.

Officers remained on the streets throughout the night, maintaining a high-visibility presence to deter trouble. Squad briefings were also conducted in the town centre to emphasise the police operation while several arrests were made.

The scheme is part of the force’s ‘Summer Presence’ campaign targeting drug-related crime, violence and disorder in town centres.

Inspector Rik Klair, in charge of policing for Oswestry, said: “We want people to have a great time when they are in the town centre at weekends. Oswestry is a safe place to enjoy a night out and the chances of becoming a victim are low.

“However, we are aware there is a small minority who spoil it for everyone else by engaging in drug use and disorder. We are dedicated to target and reduce drug-related crime, alcohol-related violence, anti-social behaviour and protecting the vulnerable. Operation Summer Presence has been created to do exactly that.”