Police officers who spoke to a 12-year-old alleged rape victim weeks before she took a fatal overdose today denied persuading her to drop her complaint.
A detective who met Semina Halliwell – who was autistic – told her the case could take two years to get to court, he admitted at her inquest.
Det Con Chris Loughead said he also advised the worried schoolgirl that the case might come down to her account and that of her alleged attacker ‘against each other’.
However he denied telling her about the amount of paperwork it would involve with the intention of persuading her to drop the complaint, saying he took her claim ‘very seriously’.
He also revealed that even though Semina decided she didn’t want to go ahead, he interviewed to the boy she had accused of attacking her and examined his mobile phone for evidence.
Semina later changed her mind after learning that the same boy had allegedly sexually assaulted another girl.
However while police were at the family home in Southport, Merseyside in June 2021 over an unrelated assault, Semina said ‘I’ve had enough of this’ and went upstairs.
Tragically she took an overdose of prescription medication.
Semina Halliwell, 12, died after taking an overdose of prescription medication after making an allegatio of sexual assault
Det Con Chris Loughead pictured at the inquest today at Bootle Town Hall near Liverpool
Despite being rushed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool where she underwent intensive medical treatment, Semina’s life support had to be withdrawn three days later, on June 12.
Semina’s mother Rachel has told the inquest that police treated her daughter ‘unprofessionally’ and made her feel like ‘an inconvenience’ when they first met her in March.
The schoolgirl had felt like ‘she wasn’t believed’ when Det Con Loughead told her it was ‘her word against his’, she added.
‘It was almost like they couldn’t be bothered,’ Mrs Halliwell said on Monday, saying her daughter had been ‘completely destroyed’ by the attack.
Asked what the outcome would have been had Semina received better support after making the rape allegation, her mother replied: ‘She’d still be here today.’
Today officers from Merseyside Police gave their first account of their dealings with Semina as her inquest continued at Bootle Town Hall.
PC Paula Carney, said she met Semina on March 24 to get an initial account.
She said Semina told her the boy had been ‘pestering’ her after contacting her via Snapchat.
Semina’s mother Rachel Halliwell attended the inquest at Bootle Town Hall near Liverpool with her sister Clare Halliwell
On two occasions in January and February 2021 he persuaded her to follow him to woodland and sexually assaulted her, she said.
PC Carney said the year 7 schoolgirl was ‘embarrassed and reluctant’ about pursuing a formal complaint but that her mother was ‘encouraging Semina to go ahead’.
She said Mrs Halliwell had told Semina: ‘You don’t want this to happen to someone else.’
PC Carney said she told Semina that it was ‘our job to protect the rest of the public, not hers’.
She recorded that Semina didn’t want to proceed, but on March 27 was informed that she had changed her mind, so she and investigating officer Det Con Loughead went to see Semina at home.
Denying that he wanted Semina to know it would be a ‘burdensome’ case, Det Con Loughead said it was a ‘difficult’ encounter due to ‘pressure’ Mrs Halliwell and her sister were putting on her to go ahead.
He asked them to leave the room, after which Semina ‘opened up’ and said she wanted to cancel a formal video interview booked for later that day.
Semina signed a statement saying she was free to change her mind and any time and was given information about counselling for sex offence victims.
Questioned by Mrs Halliwell’s barrister, Harriet Johnson, the officers confirmed they did not have specific training in speaking to autistic children.
Det Con Loughead said he had discussed the backlog of court cases during Covid and explained to Semina that it might come down to ‘their two accounts against each other’.
He said he needed to be ‘honest’ with Semina about the ‘potential pitfalls’, adding that she would have been ‘angry’ if she had only found out after giving a video interview.
But he denied asking her if she wanted it ‘hanging over your head’ for two years.
Barnabas Branston, representing Merseyside Police, asked Det Con Loughead whether his intention had been to persuade Semina ‘not to bother’ pursuing the case because it would ‘clutter up your day’.
‘No,’ he replied.
The inquest continues.
