Serious sexual assault in Rochdale is a false report

Police investigating a report of a serious sexual assault in Rochdale on Sunday, 1 July 2012, have now discovered that it was a false allegation.

Detective Inspector Debbie Dooley of the Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: "On this occasion, the offence that was alleged to have taken place in Rochdale a week ago has proved to be a false account and we have now resolved matters with those directly affected.

"I can therefore reassure people in Rochdale that this serious incident did not happen.

"We take all reports of crime seriously, especially sexual offences, and investigate them thoroughly and without prejudice. Greater Manchester Police encourages anyone who has been a victim of any sort of sexual abuse to always come forward, but I must also stress the importance of providing police with genuine reports due to the time we invest in investigating these cases.

“Incidents like this detract from genuine reports that need our valuable time and resources.

"We have specially-trained officers who give a tremendous amount of time and support to anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse and we work extremely closely with the St Marys Sexual Assault Referral Centre. We can not only help you, but also put your attacker behind bars."

Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims.

- If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.

- You can call Greater Manchester Police on 101, or alternatively people can refer themselves to St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0161 276 6515.

- St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester 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.

- Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential support service run by women for women and girls who have been raped or sexually abused. Confidential helpline: 0161 273 4500. Black and Minority Ethnic helpline: 0161 273 4514.

- Survivors Manchester offers support and counselling for adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape, regardless of when the event happened. Contact 07919 246 267.