A UK woman has received $A67,000 [$86,000 USD] in compensation after her rape case was dropped, amid claims she may have suffered from “sexsomnia”.
Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott, 32, phoned police in 2017. She told them she thought she had been raped while asleep.
She described waking up half-naked and finding her necklace broken on the floor.
Three years later, shortly before the trial was set to begin, charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Two sleep experts said it was possible McCrossen-Nethercott had an episode of sexsomnia.
Sexsomnia – also known as sleep sex – occurs when a person engages in sexual acts while they’re asleep, while appearing to be awake and consenting.
Like sleepwalking, it’s a parasomnia, an abnormal activity that occurs during a specific kind of sleep.
The case was closed and the defendant acquitted.
McCrossen-Nethercott has now received compensation from the CPS.
Now the CPS has “apologized undeservedly”, and said it was “committed to improving every aspect of how life-changing crimes like rape are dealt with”.
In response McCrossen-Nethercott said the CPS had “taken me to the darkest points of my life”, and that it felt “like a big triumph to be able to hold them accountable”.
The woman’s lawyers said it was “extremely rare” for the CPS to make a payout like this.
