Surrey Police says Epsom rape claim was confused report, protests erupt

A rape claim that ignited protests across Epsom ended with Surrey Police saying no sexual offence occurred and that the woman at the center of the report had suffered an accidental head injury before making a confused account. The reversal closed a case that had already drawn crowds into the streets, strained confidence in official communication and left behind a trail of disorder.

Police received the original report in the early hours of Saturday 11 April 2026 from a woman in her 20s who said she had been followed after leaving Labyrinth Epsom nightclub and raped outside Epsom Methodist Church on Ashley Road between 2am and 4am. In its first public appeal, Surrey Police said it did not have enough information to identify any suspects and asked witnesses, or anyone with CCTV, dashcam or helmet-camera footage, to come forward under reference PR/45260041426.

The force then carried out what it described as an extensive investigation, reviewing CCTV footage, conducting house-to-house enquiries, interviewing witnesses and completing forensic tests. On 17 April, police said there was no evidence that asylum seekers or immigrants were involved. Even after that update, officers said there was no evidence of the offence as reported and that the investigation remained ongoing.

The case quickly moved beyond policing and into public unrest. A protest in Epsom on 15 April drew a large crowd, with officers in helmets and shields confronted by objects being thrown. A later protest on 20 April escalated into public disorder in the town centre, where eggs and beer cans were thrown at riot police and four people were arrested. Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend condemned the violence as “shameful” and “mindless” and said some of those involved had travelled from elsewhere to cause trouble.

Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Grahame said the force understood the strength of feeling and the frustration caused by limited public comment while the inquiry was under way, and said the woman was being supported by relevant services. By 23 April, Surrey Police said the investigation had been closed because no sexual offence occurred. The final account was stark: the report had not described a crime at all, but a confused response after an accidental head injury, a reminder of how quickly rumor, anger and uncertainty can outrun facts.