Who am I? 

My name is Bea, and I am that girl. The one in all apocryphal stories about not walking home alone. Aged 18, I was attacked and violently raped at knifepoint by a stranger on my way home from a party. I went straight to the nearest police station to report the crime. I gave a statement, evidence and account of events that helped lead to the successful conviction of Eric McKenna at Newcastle Crown Court in February 2018.

In March 2018, McKenna was sentenced to 24 years for the offence and 15 years for the rape of another woman.

On the face of it, this looks like a success story for justice. 

Until it’s revealed that it took 30 years from reporting the crime to convict McKenna. And that Northumbria Police’s original investigation of the case amounts to misfeasance in public office arising from failure to properly investigate the crime, manipulation of evidence and witness coercion.

Now, having waited 30 years to see the man who raped me convicted, with my account vindicated and my testimony and co-operation playing a pivotal role in this successful outcome, I’m seeking to address the serious misconduct of Northumbria Police. Ensuring police accountability is vital and in the public interest. Please contirbute to my legal challenge and share this page with your friends family and on social media.

The case

Instead of focusing on the detailed evidence I provided, Northumbria Police seriously and knowingly abused their power to pursue an erroneous line of investigation. They devised an alternate theory of events, ignoring the evidence trail. They interrogated me repeatedly, using threats, coercion and extraordinary pressure to extract my cooperation to change my statement to align with their version of events.

A version of events in which a man, later proven innocent with the help of DNA testing was pursued simply because he had the misfortune of fitting their ill-founded and prejudiced version of events.

Their misconduct seriously aggravated my trauma and had a severely injurious impact on my mental health, personal and professional life chances. My family and friends were lied to by officers, informed I was unreliable and wasting police time, profoundly damaging these relationships and leaving me isolated.

I need your help to raise a claim of misfeasance against Northumbria Police. I’m part way to justice having seen Eric McKenna convicted but it’s vital for me that Northumbria Police are now also held to account for the enormous damage they inflicted upon me, my family and my friends. I am very fortunate that Counsel at Doughty Street Chambers, leaders in this field, have agreed to represent me if funding is obtained.

Public Interest - Keeping the Police Accountable

The actions of Northumbria Police ensured that Eric McKenna, a serial-rapist, remained at liberty and continued to pose a risk to public safety for a further 30 years. 

There is good reason to suspect that during this time McKenna committed further sexual assaults and that there are other victims. There have been calls in the media for women to come forward.

Privately, subsequent to McKenna being sentenced, Northumbria Police have admitted to the misconduct and apologised to me. 

I was promised by the Deputy Chief Constable that on the day Eric McKenna was sentenced, in March 2018, she would make a public apology to the media regarding their misconduct towards me. She was at pains to stress that policing had changed, that Northumbria Police had adopted a victim led approach to policing.

When the time came, the Deputy Chief Constable made no apology. In fact, I have never heard from her again. Having placed my trust in the police for the second time, I feel I have once again been badly let down.

Without real accountability, I feel there’s no obligation to change. Unless the commitment to positive outcomes for victims is endorsed and supported at all levels by action, even when it risks tarnishing the corporate image, then it’s not credible.

If Northumbria Police can’t be relied upon to do the right thing then they need to be held accountable. It could be you, or your daughter, son, wife, mother, father – we all need the help of the police at some point in our life and we all need to know that we can trust them, that they are not corrupt and do not to cover up their past mishandlings.

How Much Do We Need to Raise?

We need, as a society, a police force who are accountable and who we can trust, therefore I’m asking for your help to raise a claim against Northumbria Police. My initial target is set at £7,500, though fees are likely to be closer to £15,000.

Nick Stanage at Doughty Street Chambers is committed to representing me and this amount will cover his fees to proceed to:

(1) issue a letter of claim to be sent to the police,

(2) (if necessary) claim to be issued;

(3) an application to be made to the Court for permission to proceed out of time.

All your donations will help ensure police accountability and a personal resolution for me. I’m incredibly grateful for whatever amount you feel able to contribute.

Social Sharing

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Thank you for your support and for helping us make this campaign a success.
I can't do it without you!

Final Word

Bea Thomson is a pseudonym. As this campaign is linked to a sexual assault – and in view of the ongoing challenges I face daily in distancing myself and the life I have fought to rebuild from this traumatic episode - I want to preserve my anonymity.

Despite the fact I feel badly let down by Northumbria Police both for their misconduct during the original investigation and at a corporate level for their failure to account for past misconduct, I am very grateful to the individual officers I worked with on the Eric McKenna cold case and I have great respect and admiration for them.