Cleveland Police Seek Woman Who Left Sex Attack Letter
Detectives want to speak with a woman who left a handwritten letter describing a historic sex attack at a local police station.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Sex Crimes
Cleveland Police are appealing for a woman who left a handwritten letter detailing an historic sex attack at Loftus Police Station, which officers believe was dropped off between September 28 and October 2. Detectives want to speak with her and say specially trained officers are available to discuss her options and provide support.
Why it matters
The appeal signals that police are seeking to connect with a possible victim of an older assault, and that support services are available to her if she chooses to engage. Investigators are asking for her contact so they can address the allegation and refer her to support agencies with her consent.
Police are seeking the author of the letter, identified only by reference number 199623, to arrange contact. No charges, suspects or court dates have been reported, and the investigation's current stage is not specified.
The players
Cleveland Police
The municipal police force responsible for law enforcement in Cleveland, which issued the appeal and is seeking to speak with the letter's author.
The details
The letter, which describes an historic sex attack, was left at Loftus Police Station in Cleveland. Contact can be made through the Cleveland Police website, by calling 101, or by attending a police station and quoting reference number 199623.
Timeline
Between September 28 and October 2: Letter believed to have been dropped off at Loftus Police Station.
November 2: Cleveland Police publicly appealed for the woman to come forward.
Legal Context
Police forces in the United Kingdom increasingly offer specially trained officers and referrals to support agencies for historic sexual assault reports, allowing victims to report without immediately committing to a full investigation. This appeal applies that approach in Cleveland by inviting an anonymous letter writer to engage on her own terms.
Anyone with information about the historic assault described in the letter, or who is affected by it, can contact Cleveland Police by calling 101 or visiting a police station and quoting reference number 199623. Specially trained officers can discuss options and arrange support agencies with the author's consent.
The takeaway
Victims of historic sexual assault can seek support and discuss their options with specially trained officers without committing to a formal report on the spot. Contacting police through a reference number or the non-emergency line keeps the first step private and under the victim's control.
Further reading
Explore more reporting in Sex Crimes coverage for context on how investigations of historic assaults are handled.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Northern Echo.
