Rape: Who's On Trial?: Viewers Horrified By Upsetting Scenes Showing Male Officers Questioning Woman

Warning: This article contains content some readers may find distressing.

Channel 4 viewers were left shocked after a watching a woman being interviewed by male police officers while reporting sexual assault in the documentary Rape: Who’s on Trial?

Watch the clip below:

Deborah reported being sexually assaulted in a pub bathroom. She was interviewed by two male officers moments after it happened.

However, she was later informed over the phone by a male officer that her case was not strong enough to reach the CPS stage.

One woman wrote on Twitter: “Personally I find it so so insensitive that they send male police officers to do the interview, that woman has just been violated by a 'man' the last thing she'll want is to tell another man what happened!!!”

Another woman said police officers need to handle cases better: “Why are male police officers taking statements and asking intimate question that are so triggering to victims that have just been assaulted?” she wrote. “No courtesy at all.”

Channel 4)

The documentary follows four sexual assault cases, including Deborah's, from the moment they were reported to the police. Only some cases reached court, while other women were informed the evidence was not strong enough to charge the men accused. 

Another case involved the rape of a 16-year-old girl, who was followed after she exited a bus on her journey home from school.

Viewers have called the cases and the process of reporting rape ‘disturbing’, many watchers have also criticised the number of male officers who are tasked with interviewing women after they report an assault. 

Shutterstock)

One man tweeted: “There should be a policy within policing that officers of the same sex are the first to attend and see to the victim or the opposite sex of the offender. Something not right about two male officers being the first to tend to a female victim…”

Twitter)

Twitter)

Twitter)

Another viewer shared: “Why is it that in all these interviews it’s male police officers interviewing female rape victims? Am I the only one to see how this is wrong?”

Some viewers defended the use of male police officers, by suggesting it could be down to the larger number of male police officers versus female.

In the UK and Wales, 32.4 per cent of police officers are female (43, 762) as of March 2021. This is up just one percent from the previous year.

Statistics from sexual assault cases were displayed on the screen throughout the documentary, highlighting the reality of pursuing a rape charge. One figure revealed that only 14 per cent of rape victims feel they can obtain justice by reporting to the police.

And of the mere 1.5 per cent of rape cases that reach court, 60 per cent end in a conviction. 

Rape: Who's on Trial is available to watch on All4 now.

For help and support, visit the Survivor's Trust website here. Or call their free helpline on 08088 010818.

Topics: TV And Film, Channel 4

Gregory Robinson

Gregory is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, he has worked for both print and online publications and is particularly interested in TV, (pop) music and lifestyle. He loves Madonna, teen dramas from the '90s and prefers tea over coffee.