Family Arrested On Rape Charge

A family's relaxing day turned into a nightmare when police officers wrongly arrested them as suspects in a gang rape attack.

Susan Clark,her husband Billy,43,and their two children,Jonathon,21,and 18 year-old Hayley,were at home watching television when detectives swooped.

They arrested the family after the distraught victim identified their house as the scene of her brutal assault.

The Clarks and their two pet dogs were taken to the police station and held for over 30 hours while detectives sealed off their home and took away personal items for investigation.

"They told me they had to arrest everyone living in our house.When I asked why, a policeman said 'rape'" says Susan, 44.

"I was taken to the police station. I was told my husband was in on suspicion of rape and I was being held for aiding and abetting. I was physically sick.

"I was told that a girl had been gang-raped, had been given a date-rape drug and had flashbacks about our house" she says.

Although the family were later released without charge,Susan says they are still recovering from the stigma of their ordeal and are bitter that the police haven't formally apologized for getting it wrong.

"The police took away clothes, rugs, bedding, cameras, videos, tablets, even rubbish" said Susan at their family home in north east England.

"It was only returned last week when they told me there would be no further action.We haven't even had a formal apology for what happened."

Police later arrested and charged three people for the assault, but Susan is still fuming and hopes police don't subject another family to a similar ordeal.