The letter from a five year-old rape victim that shames every police officer

When Sara and Peter’s five-year-old daughter was raped by the 12-year-old son of a close friend, the couple were distraught. Not only had their youngest child’s innocence been shattered in the most unspeakable manner, but she had endured a horrendous physical and emotional trauma.

They immediately reported the assault to their local Essex police, in the belief that while they, as a family, would help their child come to terms with her ordeal, the force would pursue her attacker.

But the result was not the prompt conviction they expected. Instead – as documents seen by The Mail on Sunday make all too clear – they have been subjected to an extraordinary catalogue of blunders, cover-ups and betrayals by the officers they trusted to bring the culprit to justice.

It is three and a half years since the rape, and the family are still waiting. In that time, Peter has been hounded through the courts, and the family have been forced to spend more than £40,000 in legal fees and lost countless thousands in earnings.

Essex Police Former Chief Inspector Sue Harrison

One senior officer admitted to the couple that the investigation of the case had been ‘piss poor’. Officers wrongly claimed that they had reported the case to the Crown Prosecution Service; omitted having the rapist’s name added to the Sex Offenders Register; neglected to take fingerprints, DNA samples or photographs; ignored opportunities to instigate a Section 47 child protection joint investigation with Social Care; and took limited disciplinary action against the officers involved.

Deputy Chief Constable Derek Benson

And the culprit, who admitted the rape in a taped interview, escaped with nothing more than a youth caution, after being told by one police officer: ‘Do it with someone your own age next time.’

Read the little girl's letter below:

In a statement, Essex Police confirmed that three officers had been issued with written warnings but refused to comment further.

‘For our family it will never be over,’ says Sara.

‘Our family no longer has any faith in law and order nor in justice. For our daughter, there has been none.’