Another rape case against a Durham student has been dropped

He was facing two charges of rape and one charge of assault by penetration, until it was finally decided that there were too many “inconsistencies” in the victim’s report for the case to lead to conviction of George Worrall.

After a horrific 18 months, the Crown decided to offer no evidence against George and he was found as not guilty.

George was suspended by Durham University in 2015 and appeared as a voluntary attendant in the investigation. He plans to return in September to resume his Engineering course.

Since the announcement, George has emphasised how important it is for men to be treated with anonymity when accused of rape and sexual assault. He told the Northen Echo: “I do not feel anger for what has been done to me but instead end the case with a renewed sense of purpose and pride for the things I have achieved over the last 18 months, both personally and professionally in spite of the investigation.

“There have been a number of high profile cases in the news recently where the defendants have been found not guilty and there are many young men, especially in higher education, who face similar situations across the country.

“These men go through life-changing ordeals and it is time the Government took action to provide adequate protection and grant anonymity to those accused until a court has made a decision as to guilt or innocence”.

After his return to uni, George plans to set up a support group for students who are accused of sexual assault. This group will try to make sure that they are treated fairly and do not have their futures threatened after they have been cleared.

Alleged victims of sexual assault have held the right to anonymity since 1976, but the defendants lost their right to this in 1988. However, too many young men are becoming household names for untrue and hideous reasons, losing their rights to a bright future.

The news comes only months after the Secretary of the debating union at Durham, Louis Richardson, was cleared of similar charges.