A WOMAN in her 20s has been arrested on suspicion of wasting police time after claims of a gang rape went viral on social media.
The post sparked days of alarm in the Kent town of Sittingbourne.
The allegation was shared widely on Facebook which claimed a woman had been attacked by four men wearing tracksuits at the Milton Regis Recreation Ground near the town at around 9pm last Saturday.
The post quickly spread across local groups, including the Gossip Board of Sittingbourne, which has 46,000 members, and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Police said though they were never directly contacted about the alleged assault.
An inquiry was launched based on the online claims but found no evidence that such an attack had happened.
A woman was arrested on Wednesday and taken to the town’s police station for questioning.
She has since been released on bail and the investigation continues.
Swale district commander Chief Inspector Vanessa Foster said: “We were made aware of social media posts about an allegation of rape.
“Despite not receiving a direct report to the force about the alleged offence, officers have conducted initial inquiries based on the information available.
“At this time, we have found no evidence to suggest the offence took place.
“It is important the local community is assured that we take allegations of this nature seriously and those responsible for the social media post have been spoken to directly.
“This has resulted in the arrest of a woman in her 20s on suspicion of wasting police time.
“She has since been released on bail pending further inquiries.
“I want victims of sexual assault and rape to know we will take their reports seriously, we will carry out a full and thorough investigation, and we will provide them with the support they need.”
