Text message idea to trap rapists

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An article in The Guardian newspaper claims detectives and prosecutors were exploring the idea of women texting or phoning their alleged attackers in a bid to extract an admission of guilt.

Currently used in some US states, it is thought the measures could be adopted in the UK to improve the low conviction rate in rape cases.

The newspaper said a source from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had told them that the issue was being discussed between the CPS and senior police.

So-called "pretext" phone calls are used to try to get sexual attackers who are known to their victim to confess or incriminate themselves.

The Guardian's source explained: "Police get the victim to send a text saying something like, 'How could you do that to me?'.

"They sometimes get a text back saying, 'I'm really sorry, I know I was out of order, it won't happen again', or something like that."

The resulting evidence is useful to prosecutors in cases where evidence would otherwise come down to one person's word against another.

It is suggested that the tactic, although controversial, could boost the conviction rates of sex attackers in the UK. At present, only about 6% of reported cases end in a conviction.

The Guardian's source said they believed the controversial tactic would not require a change in the law before being introduced. But the newspaper reported that there was a question mark over whether pretext phone calls would be allowed under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.