Stacey Dooley says she ‘wouldn’t go to police if she was raped’

Stacey Dooley has said she doesn’t think she’d go to the police if she were a victim of rape (Picture: BBC/Minnow Films)

Stacey Dooley has said she doesn’t think she’d go to the police if she were a victim of rape, after hearing stories of women’s experiences with the courts and investigators.

The documentary presenter, 38, is bringing out new BBC programme Rape On Trial, which covers the delays to court cases and waiting times for victims of alleged rape and sexual assault.

Ahead of it airing, Stacey said: ‘If somebody raped me, I don’t think I would go to the police, which is so bleak and such a disappointing realisation.

‘But in terms of what I’ve witnessed, I wouldn’t feel confident.’

She also said that women have been inspired by Gisele Pelicot, who was drugged by her husband Dominique Pelicot, and raped by him and dozens of other men, between 2011 and 2020.

Stacey called French feminist heroine Gisele, who has been named the Most Influential Woman of 2025 by The Independent, a ‘powerhouse’ and said she wonders ‘if even she really understands the magnitude of what she’s done for other women’, following Gisele waiving her right to anonymity by speaking at the trial, after police told her of her husband’s crimes.

The TV presenter told RadioTimes of ‘the bravery it takes’ to report rape and sexual assault ‘is unbelievable’ as ‘it’s one of the few crimes where your credibility is immediately brought into question’.

Stacey called Gisele Pelicot a ‘powerhouse’ (Picture: Christophe SIMON / AFP)

The documentary, which was filmed over three years, sees Stacey speaking to three women about their experiences.

One of them, Lauren, says she was assaulted by a ‘very charming, very charismatic’ boyfriend who then asked if she wanted to join him for breakfast.

Another, Emma, says she was orally raped by a boy in her year in a classroom at her music college, and when she confided in another female student, they replied: ‘You’re lucky. He’s quite popular, you know.’ Her ordeal resulted in depression and a suicide attempt.

There is a record-high crown court backlog in England and Wales, which has almost doubled in five years to 73,105 at the end of September last year.

The Victims’ Commissioner Baroness Newlove published a report earlier this month which found many victims of serious offences including rape, murder and robbery, are facing years-long waits for justice.

The report also said that victims are struggling to cope, with many unable to work or turning to drugs, alcohol and self-harm as they face the uncertainty.

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On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.

Throughout the year we will be bringing you stories that shine a light on the sheer scale of the epidemic.

With the help of our partners at Women's Aid, This Is Not Right aims to engage and empower our readers on the issue of violence against women.

You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at [email protected].

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Strictly Come Dancing star Stacey also spoke about another one of her upcoming documentary shows, Meet The Shoplifters, where she meets people who steal and staff members dealing with the issue.

She admitted that she took items from shops when she was young, saying she ‘perhaps tried to justify it in some way’ when she was a young teenager, but now does not understand how she could have behaved that way.

There was nearly half a million cases of shoplifting recorded by police in England and Wales in the year up to September 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The figure of a total of 492,914 shoplifting offences logged by forces in the year to September 2024 is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003.

Chief Constable Sarah Crew, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said the ‘effective investigation and prosecution of rape’ is ‘one of the most important challenges facing the criminal justice system’.

She explained: ‘We are working hard in policing to improve our response to rape and sexual offences.

Stacey is fronting three upcoming documentaries on the BBC (Picture: Steve Meddle/REX/Shutterstock)

‘All 43 police forces in England and Wales have signed up to Operation Soteria, a transformational approach to rape and sexual offences investigation.

‘This has seen policing open its doors to scrutiny from independent academics to look at the way police investigate rape. We are facing this directly, transparently and uncompromisingly. This process is not easy, but it is vital.

‘Delivering rape investigations differently is helping us to rebuild trust and confidence, and we are seeing a steep increase in arrests and charges.

‘According to the crime survey of England and Wales, fewer than one in six victims of rape and assault by penetration report the crime to the police.

‘We believe the work we are doing under Operation Soteria is starting to close this gap, enabling more victims to pursue justice and allowing policing to bring more offenders to justice.

‘However, policing cannot do this alone, so we are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and across the criminal justice system to ensure that every agency plays their part in tackling this horrific crime.’

Stacey revealed she shoplifted when she was young (Picture: Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterst) What to do if you've been raped

If you have been the victim of rape, either recently or historically, and are looking for help, support is out there.

If you have recently been raped and you are still at risk, ring 999 and ask for the police. Otherwise, the first step is to go somewhere you are safe. If you want to report your rape to the police, ring 999 or the police non-emergency line on 101. An Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) will often be on hand to help you through reporting and even after you have made a statement, you can still decide to withdraw from the criminal justice process at any time. If you plan on going to the police, if possible, do not wash your clothes or shower, bathe or brush your teeth. If you do get changed, keep the clothes you were wearing in a plastic bag. These steps will help to preserve any DNA evidence your attacker may have left on your body or clothes. If you don’t want to contact the police, Rape Crisis suggest talking to someone you trust about what has happened; or you can ring one of the UK’s many rape and sexual assault helplines. Anyone aged 16+ can contact Rape Crisis's 24/7 Support Line by calling 0808 500 2222 or starting an online chat. If you have been injured, you’re best advised to go to your nearest A&E to seek medical treatment. If you are uninjured, you can go to your nearest Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). The NHS has information on where to find your nearest centre here. If your rape is historic, you can still access support, including from the police – there is no time limit on reporting and your account can still be used as evidence.

Read more here.

She urged victims of rape or sexual assault to report their incidents to the police saying they would be ‘treated sensitively’ and with ‘respect and empathy’.

Chief Constable Crew added: ‘We work closely with sexual assault referral centres (Sarcs) and independent sexual violence advisers (ISVAs) and we would urge anyone who is not comfortable with going to the police to use these independent specialist services instead.’

Dooley has presented the Panorama episode Stacey Meets The IS Brides and documentaries Stacey Dooley: Locked Up With The Lifers and Stacey Dooley: Stalkers.

The Luton-born presenter made her acting stage debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story last year, and won Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 with her partner Kevin Clifton, who she went on to have one child with.

Another upcoming show from her, Growing Up Gypsy, will see Stacey exploring young women’s lives in the traveller community.

The full interview is available in the Radio Times.

Rape On Trial airs Thursday at 9pm on BBC Three and iPlayer.

Victim Support

Victim Support offers support to survivors of rape and sexual abuse. You can contact them on 0333 300 6389.

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