False rape allegations

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/25/9206

Version Date: 30/12/2025

The Performance & Analysis Department has provided the following information:

Data Collection:    

Crime Record Management System - UNIFI    

Crime Record Management System - NICHE                                                 

Qlik Sense Report: Occurrence - People Links (all) 

Crime Only? Yes    

Sex: Female    

Age Range at Time Committed: Exclude <18  

Month Occ Created: Jan-2016 - Nov-2025 

Person/Organisation: Person

Offender: 1       

Offence Description:       

• Commit an act / series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice
• Conspire to pervert the course of justice       
• Pervert the course of justice      
• Pervert The Course Of Justice - Attempt  

Data Caveats / Limitations:   

This data is occurrence level; therefore, the Principal Crime Rule applies. 

Please provide the following information for each of the past ten calendar years (2016–2025 inclusive, or the most recent years for which data is held):

1. The number of women investigated by your force for making a false allegation of rape, where the suspected offence was perverting the course of justice (or wasting police time).

Between Jan 16 and Nov 25, there were five unique woman investigated for false rape accusations under the offence description "Commit an act / series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice"

One individual was investiged for two offences. Therefore the total in the table below is six, not five. 

Where a year is not shown in a table it means no offence recorded in that year 

2. The number of women charged with perverting the course of justice (or wasting police time, if relevant) in relation to allegedly false rape allegations.

3. The number of resulting prosecutions for these offences.

All offences resulting in a charge also resulted in a prosecution – seetable for Q2

4. For each prosecution, please provide the outcome (guilty, not guilty, charges dropped/no further action)

5. For each conviction, please provide:
o The sentence imposed (e.g. custodial, suspended, community order)
o The length of any custodial sentence.
If possible, please provide this data in an annual breakdown.

For sentencing information, you will need to contact His Majesties Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS).