SURVIVOR SLAMS SYSTEM AS RAPIST DAVID MORRISON WALKS FROM COURT
A brave rape survivor says she’s been failed by the justice system after the man who attacked her was allowed to walk free from court while awaiting sentence.The woman, who has spent years fighting for justice, was horrified when rapist David Morrison, of Castle Lane, Wilton, was released on bail after being convicted by a jury at Teesside Crown Court.
The victim – who cannot be named for legal reasons - said he was due to be sentenced earlier this month but claims she was told “the court was too busy”.
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) recently confirmed "record court backlogs" with 18 per cent of sexual offence cases taking two years or longer.
Instead of being hauled straight off to prison, Morrison walked out of court to be sentenced at a later date, which was not set.
And now a warrant has been issued for his arrest after he failed to show for a further court hearing just this week.
The devastated woman says instead of her attacker, she feels like the one with a "prison sentence".
Morrison, 44, was convicted of one count of rape and one of assault by penetration.
"I am the one with the prison sentence" - she said.
“I feel like a prisoner — while he’s out living his life like nothing happened," she said.
"I don’t know how much more this man can put me through.
I am the one with a prison sentence.” The mum says the delays and lack of action have left her in a permanent state of fear, battling complex PTSD, and nightmares.
She also slammed Cleveland Police for a lengthy investigation after reporting the offences in 2021 — despite what she says was clear evidence from the start.
She claims she has repeatedly reported her rapist to police over alleged bail breaches.
When she questioned why the case took so long, she was told it was due to staffing issues, and believes officers were poorly trained and lacked empathy throughout the ordeal.
Cleveland Police admitted delays in her case were “unacceptable” and has apologised.
The force states it has made progress, with new training, and claims it’s now fourth in the country for positive rape case outcomes.
Detective Superintendent Helen Barker said: “We acknowledge the delays in this case were unacceptable and have had a significant impact on the victim which we apologise for.
The case was reported four years ago and since then the force has adopted Operation Soteria, which aims to transform the approach to investigations of rape.
As part of this work, 180 investigators have completed the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Investigative Skills Development Programme and 40 staff have undergone the Specialist Sexual Assault Investigators Development Programme.
This training will further equip our officers with the right knowledge and skills.
We also have more than 200 Sexual Offences Liaison Officers across our teams who have specific training in understanding trauma, offering support and referring victims to partner agencies, who we work closely with.
As a result of the improvements under Operation Soteria, Cleveland Police is currently fourth in England and Wales for positive outcomes for rape, having moved from 5.4 per cent in June 2023 to 9.4 per cent in the year ending March 2025.
This is above the national average of eight percent.
We will continue to build on these improvements and later this year, the force is moving all rape offences into a central team who will receive specialist training to help bring offenders to justice and provide victims with the vital support they need.” The woman fears other women could be at risk as she has fought for justice.
Bail decisions are made by judges.
The Judicial Office said it was unable to comment on individual cases.
A MOJ spokesperson said: “This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog, leading to delays that are having a devastating impact on victims.
That’s why we are looking at major reforms of the courts system to speed up justice alongside record funding and increased sitting days”.
Last month, The Northern Echo reported sexual offences account for a growing proportion of cases with the longest delays in crown courts in England and Wales.
Nearly one in five (18 per cent) backlog cases that had been open for at least two years as of the end of June 2025 were for this category of offence.
This is up from 13 per cent in June 2024 and 11 per cent in June 2023.
Some 1,070 cases involving sexual offences had been open for two years or more at the end of June, according to analysis by PA news agency of Ministry of Justice data.
The Government has asked former senior judge Sir Brian Leveson to recommend 'once-in-a-generation reforms' to the criminal courts that will speed up justice.
The first part of his review was published in July and the Government is now considering his recommendations.
The woman says she would not be standing here today without the support of ARCH Teesside - a specialist sexual violence service offering free and confidential support.
