Four in ten rape victims 'had alcohol before attack'

The most common time for an alleged attack was between midnight and 1am on a Friday or Saturday night, while the victim was typically aged just 16.

The findings are the latest evidence to suggest there could be a link between binge-drinking and claims of sexual assault.

Police had previously estimated a third of victims had been drinking.

The study examined the case files of 676 rape allegations.

More than eight out of ten knew their attacker, with a fifth saying it was either a partner or ex-partner who was responsible.

Only 6 per cent of cases ended in a conviction for rape, and a further 7 per cent for lesser sexual offences.

Police "no crimed" 15 per cent of cases - meaning officers decided they could not proceed and did not record the allegation as a crime.

This was usually after the victim withdrew her complaint or because police felt she lacked credibility due to inconsistencies in her story or factors such as alcohol consumption.

A further 8 per cent were found to be false allegations, while 39 per cent of cases which police went on to investigate collapsed because the woman withdrew her support for the prosecution.

The most common reasons women gave for this were that they did not want to appear in court or wanted to "move on".

The study hoped to identify factors which could make a conviction for rape more likely. The national conviction rate is just 6 per cent.

One of the most crucial factors was whether medical evidence was collected immediately after an attack.

Even though women were most likely to be raped on the weekend, most complaints were made on a Tuesday.

The Government is now likely to intensify efforts to warn of a possible link between rape and drinking, as well as pursuing changes to the law.

Under plans published last month, ministers want judges to give firmer guidance to juries in cases where the woman has been drinking.

If a woman is deemed to have consumed so much alcohol that she is incapable of agreeing to have sex, the man would be far more likely to be convicted of rape.

The plan could open the way for the prosecution of thousands of men for having sex with drunk women - regardless of whether agreement had been given at the time.

But senior judges dismissed as unworkable a proposal for a "sex breathalyser test" - which would measure if a woman had had too much alcohol to be able to consent to sex.

Home Office minister Vernon Coaker said: "The Government is committed to increasing support for victims of sexual violence, whose wellbeing must be at the centre of our response to this terrible crime.

"This research has provided valuable insights into delivering enhanced victim care, which is already being put into practice."