03/02/2020 Economou v David De Freitas (Rev 1) [2016] EWHC 1853 (QB) (27 July 2016) Interviewer: What did the police say about the case, they were concerned about her vulnerability weren't they? DdF: Completely, I can't praise the police highly enough, they handled Eleanor very well, and I think the decision that they made was a reasonable and a responsible decision. Interviewer: The decision being that a prosecution would not be in her best interests? DdF: Correct. Interviewer: But then the individual who the rape allegation was brought against decided to make a private prosecution, and the CPS then got involved in that prosecution, didn't they? DdF: They did. We actually asked the CPS to get involved because the CPS have the power to take over the prosecution and stop it. And that is what we wanted them to do. What in fact they did in the end was they took over the prosecution and bizarrely continued with it. … Interviewer: The police you say had taken account of her vulnerability, do you think the CPS ignored that. DdF: I can't see how they took account of that, in fact I have difficulty understanding how they took account of the evidential stage. … Interviewer: How do you feel that the Director of Public Prosecutions now is saying she is going to personally investigate and look into your daughter's case? DdF: It's an appropriate response, but it falls into the category of being too little, too late. Um, I think that the proper way of dealing with this is to have a full article 2 inquest where all matters surrounding Eleanor' death are brought out in the open and examined so that there are lessons learned and that other vulnerable young ladies don't go through what Eleanor went through, and that other families don't have to suffer what we have had to go through. Interviewer: So you want the Inquest to really get to the heart of all the issue here, the question of vulnerable people involved in court cases and especially in cases like this which involve allegations of rape which are hugely sensitive? DdF: Correct, completely. Interviewer: Are you hopeful that the Inquest will get to that? DdF: I am hopeful but we'll have to wait and see." 52. There were numerous other media publications about the matter on 7 November 2014, of which Mr Economou does not complain in this action. There was an article by Tom Brooks-Pollock that appeared on the Telegraph website headed "Inquiry after vulnerable woman's suicide over 'false rape claim' trial". This was live from about 08:41 on 7 November. From 08:54 an article appeared on The Times website headed "Bi-polar woman kills herself after 'cry rape' prosecution". Neither of these articles named Mr Economou. Both quoted Mr de Freitas, using the same words that had appeared in The First Guardian Article. There was similar coverage of the matter in other newspapers and other media of which, again, no complaint is made by Mr Economou. The Guardian also had a comment piece by Hugh Muir, that appeared from 10.50am, asserting that the case showed "the CPS has a duty to make humane decisions." www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2016/1853.htm 13/58