Sophie Walker was instructed by Catherine Knight at the Good Law Project, to bring a claim for breach of Article 3 of the ECHR against Northumbria Police for failing to investigate a sexual assault first reported in 2010.
Within hours of being attacked, Nina Creswell made a report to the police. Despite this, officers told her within hours that no crime had been committed.
When Nina later spoke out about the man who assaulted her, he sued her for defamation. Following a three-year legal battle, she defeated his claim for defamation on the basis of a truth defence and a public interest defence. This led the police to re-open the investigation, but little to no progress was made in the years that followed.
Eventually, Nina informed the police that she was psychologically unable to continue to support the investigation.
Nina received an award of damages and the police apologised, accepting errors were made in their investigations of this attack.
Sophie was instructed by Catherine Knight of the Good Law Project.
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