Police are to reopen 68 rape investigations where officers dismissed allegations that should have been pursued, it emerged yesterday. A review by Northumbria Police found that 54 allegations of rape were not investigated properly, possibly allowing sexual abusers to go unpunished. And Cleveland Police is reopening 14 rape investigations after an audit by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) revealed similar problems with the way its officers had dealt with allegations. Scroll down for video Northumbria Police officers  have decided to reopen one in three rape cases from the past three years (file picture) Northumbria has removed dozens of officers from its sex crimes investigations unit following the discovery that one in three rape allegations recorded as ‘no crime’ should have been investigated.
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Northumberland Police admit 1 in 3 rape cases may have been written off
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Cleveland Police is also reopening 14 rape investigations
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48 officers have been warned they will be disciplined if they 'failed' in job
The reinvestigations by Northumbria and @placeholder highlight growing concern that the problem may be widespread.