It's not just a number of sexual assault allegations that are "unfounded."  The "Outdated" allegation in this editorial's headline is quite clearly unfounded, too,  maybe for the same reason police reach that conclusion about allegations they investigate: lack of evidence.  

What specific practices are "Outdated"? The newspaper doesn't say.  

Worse, the G&M suggests "5,000 or more women ...are disbelieved by police officers every year"  Again, no evidence is offered. I hunch--who knows for sure?--many officers DO believe thousands of these women, but still stamp "unfounded" on the file because there isn't enough evidence to proceed further, especially when the complainant will face "exceptionally high hurdles once their complaint moves on to the courts."  

I wonder how many angry, bitter, frustrated complainants are actually SPARED the humiliation of defeat during an agonizing court ordeal--because of the very so-called "outdated" practices the G&M fails to define.