N.S. woman upset after RCMP refuse to lay charges in alleged date rape

A Cole Harbour woman who alleges she was date raped says she intends to file a formal complaint against the RCMP after they refused to lay charges in her case.

The 52-year-old woman said she was sexually assaulted last Sept. 11 after going on a date with a man she met on an online dating site. She said the man picked her up at her home and they went for a drive. Afterward, she said they ended up back at her house.

"We came inside, we were talking a bit, started kissing and then he kind of pushed me into the bedroom," the woman said Friday.

At one point, she said the man tore her underwear off. 

"I just said I'm not comfortable with this and then he basically raped me," she said. 

Because of the nature of her allegations, CBC News is not naming the woman.

Woman provided statement, text messages

The woman said she called the RCMP a couple of weeks following the incident after she dealt with a serious, but unrelated, medical issue. 

A major crime was committed and he wasn't even questioned. Like, what kind of investigation is that?- Woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted

She said they eventually asked her to go to the station and give a videotaped statement. She said after she pressured a supervisor, an investigator was sent to her home to get text messages off her phone that she'd exchanged with the man. The texts allegedly contained sexually graphic comments from the man describing an aggressive encounter.

The woman said despite the text messages and videotaped statement, police decided not to lay charges.

"For myself and other women ... this is just not right," she said.

"A major crime was committed and he wasn't even questioned. Like, what kind of investigation is that?"

RCMP says allegations were investigated 

Cpl. Dal Hutchinson said the woman's allegations were thoroughly investigated.

"In some situations, the evidence is there, we can't dispute the facts and we proceed with laying the charge and taking the matter to court," Hutchinson said Friday.

"Unfortunately in some situations, there's not enough there to proceed with laying a charge."

Hutchinson said he encourages the woman to file a formal complaint if she's unhappy with the way her case was handled.

Hopeful case will be reopened

The woman said she hopes to persuade police to reopen the investigation and lay charges against the man.

"Just because you didn't report it right away or there's no physical evidence, doesn't mean it didn't happen," she said. 

The woman said she wouldn't let the RCMP's treatment of her case prevent her from reporting a similar situation in the future.

"I would report it right after and I'd have the police at my house with DNA and do the rape kit and all of that," she said. "Because I think that definitely strengthens your case."