File on 4 Investigates - I accused a policeman of rape but I ended up on trial

Download I accused a policeman of rape but I ended up on trial

When a woman reported an allegation of rape against a serving police officer, she found herself in the dock, charged with perverting the course of justice. File on 4 Investigates hears how she went from being a potential victim to a suspect accused of lying.

Over the past decade, hundreds of rape complainants in England and Wales have been investigated for making false allegations. The programme examines when and why the justice system turns on those who come forward, and asks whether the safeguards meant to protect potential victims are being properly applied.

Producer: Hayley Mortimer
Presenter: Rebecca Woods
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Tara McDermott

Details of organisations offering help and support for the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline

Published on Tuesday, 27th January 2026.

Available Podcasts from File on 4 Investigates

Subscribe to File on 4 Investigates

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the File on 4 Investigates webpage.