Labour say Hampshire Police's failure to investigate a 17-year-old Winchester girl's rape proves the need to keep the Human Rights Act

The Opposition pointed to the case of the 17-year-old – who was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and tried to kill herself – as it attacked Government plans to scrap the Act.

Her rapist was later convicted and jailed for five years. Hampshire Constabulary apologised to her and admitted it bungled the investigation, in a statement issued last week.

The move came after the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, began proceedings against the police using the Human Rights Act.

In the Commons, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said, of the legislation: “It has helped victims of crime let down by the justice system hold the police to account.

“Think of the young woman in Winchester who was raped – yet when she went to the police for help, they failed to investigate for six months and threatened her with prosecution instead.

“They told her she was a liar. They arrested her. That rapist is now behind bars and that young woman has justice, apology and compensation from Hampshire Police thanks to the Human Rights Act.”

Ms Cooper, pictured below, said withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights – seen as necessary to nullify the Human Rights Act – would be a “shameful abandonment of Britain’s historic respect for the rule of law”.

And she added, of ministers: “Do they really want to join Belarus as the only country in the continent not prepared to accept international standards on human rights.”

This week, the Government ducked an early confrontation with a group of backbenchers when it put plans to axe the Human Rights Act on ice for at least another year.

The Tory manifesto promised replacement with a British Bill of Rights, but the proposals will now be put out to public consultation – although David Cameron insisted legislation will follow.

The delay follows concern among some senior Tories that the plan also involves withdrawing from the European Convention.

The 17-year-old was arrested after reporting the rape, but forensic tests on her clothes did not return a result.

Eventually, the Crown Prosecution Service ordered new tests and her attacker was jailed in 2013.

On Friday, Hampshire chief superintendent David Powell admitted: “Our initial assessment and handling of this case in 2012 was very poor and we are not proud of our initial response.

“We have already personally apologised to the victim and her mother and I repeat here, now, that we are sorry for how we let her down.”