Woman jailed for calling rape

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A woman who accused an innocent man of rape has herself been put behind bars.

Lauren Chaffey, Huddersfield Road, told police she was raped by a man she’d met on a night out with friends in March last year, causing him to spend 24 hours in custody.

Police confiscated the mobile phones of Chaffey and two of her friends, where text messages were found revealing she had not only been in contact with the man, but had consented to having sex with him.

Appearing at Bolton Crown Court today (Wednesday 4 March 2009), Chaffey was put behind bars for five months.

Detective Constable Janice Cruttwell, of Rochdale CID, said: "Lauren Chaffey has not only wasted police time, but also caused a great deal of trouble for a completely innocent man.

"The man she accused of raping her was arrested and kept in police custody. He now feels he has been stigmatised as a rapist despite being completely innocent.

"Rape is a incredibly seriously crime that can ruin the lives of genuine victims and their families. For somebody to make up a story and falsely claim they have been raped is despicable and completely undermines those people whose lives have been devastated by genuine crimes of this nature. I am glad that justice has been done today.

"I would like to reassure genuine victims of crime that we take all reports of rape extremely seriously and each and every case will be dealt with in a sensitive manner by specially trained police officers.

"However, I would also like to take this opportunity to point out to anyone who believes that they can waste police time and resources by making a false report of crime, that we can and will take action against them."

Anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault can contact Greater Manchester Police on 0161 872 5050 or 999 in an emergency. GMP has specially trained officers in place to provide a first class response to victims and help support them through the criminal justice process.

St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, can also be contacted on 0161 276 6515. This provides a comprehensive and coordinated forensic, counselling and medical aftercare service to anyone in Greater Manchester who has experienced rape or sexual assault. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and people can access them either as a self-referral or via Greater Manchester Police.