AN official report published this week shows that a huge number of rape cases falter without a conviction. Mark Donaghy spoke to a Bolton woman who was the victim of an appalling sex attack.

AT 7.15am on February 18, 1992, Merlyn Nuttall's life changed forever.

As the young woman, who was brought up in Astley Bridge, walked down a busy main road in Brixton she was grabbed by a man and dragged into a derelict house where she was subjected to an appalling sex attack.

Her throat was slit, the back of her neck was gouged almost to the bone with a shard of glass and she was stabbed.

The attacker, Anthony Ferrira, then set fire to the room and left. Against all odds, Merlyn survived the ordeal.

A detective investigating the case said he had only ever seen such severe injuries on a dead body.

Ferrira was later caught, with help from a Crimewatch appeal, and sentenced to 20 years behind bars.

However, a report this week shows that many women and men who are raped very rarely see their attacker punished in the courts.

The dossier, compiled by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, shows that of the 1,741 cases analysed, including some in Greater Manchester, just 42 per cent went to court and seven out of 10 offenders who pleaded not guilty to rape were acquitted.

Since her attack, Merlyn has campaigned to try to get justice for other victims.

She sits on an independent advisory group for the Metropolitan Police, which looks at how procedures can be improved, and also works for Victim Support.

Merlyn says that although she knows the system needs changing, she was disappointed at the findings of the report.

"I was totally shocked by the attrition rate," she says. "Only a small percentage of women report rape to the police, then only a small percentage of cases actually get to trial.

"To see such a small number of convictions is appalling."

Merlyn, aged 37, who runs a fashion boutique in London, said she suspects her attacker was caught because the case was being treated as attempted murder and she was a businesswoman.

She also says the standard of care she received was good, which is not the same for every victim.

Merlyn adds: "I want to feel every person is treated the same. If I were a prostitute I should expect the same care as I received."

The report highlights a catalogue of serious failings in the way victims are treated at every step of the criminal justice system.

Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, David Blakey, said: "It's not perfect at any stage of the process. It all needs tightening up and sharpening."

In fact, the system seems to be getting worse. The number of successful prosecutions has fallen from one in three cases in 1977 to one in 13 in 1999.

The 110-page report, which is the first to look at how rape allegations are dealt with from one end of the criminal justice system to the other, outlines 21 main recommendations which it is hoped will improve the current situation.

The inspectors suggest that a major way forward would be for all allegations of rape to be reviewed by prosecutors who have received specialist training in the handling of sexual offences.

And before a Crown Prosecution lawyer decides to either drop a case, reduce the charge or advise police to take no action, they should consult with another specialist prosecutor for a second opinion.

Merlyn believes this would make a difference to victims fighting for justice.

She says: "A similar system is used in Canada and Holland and it has helped to raise the conviction rate."

There was also a 75 per cent conviction rate when the system was introduced in New York.

The former Thornleigh College pupil, who has written a book on her experiences, also agrees with the report that there needs to be consistency in the cross-examination of witnesses in court.

Some courts agree on what questions are acceptable to ask while others do not.

She says: "I was fortunate in that the defence did not question what had happened to me -- they were trying to prove it wasn't their client.

"But if I had not been a businesswoman going to work at 7.15am but had been going to a club or out meeting friends, I wonder how much worse that would have been. The defence would have been a lot harsher on me."

She adds: "It was terrifying taking the stand and going through the most intimate details in front of a room full of strangers."

Merlyn, who married her boyfriend Andrew Bignall last year and lives in London, is optimistic that the report will lead to a change in the way the legal system deals with rape victims.

She said: "I think this is a major breakthrough.

"Rape has the biggest impact on a victim of any Crime and we need to make sure the attackers actually pay for what they have done."