Woman who claims she was drugged and raped in custody by Greater Manchester Police officers says Mayor Andy Burnham has 'not delivered on any of his promises' to help her

By FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER Published: 23:05, 13 June 2026 | Updated: 23:20, 13 June 2026 A woman who claims she was drugged and raped while being held in police custody has accused Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham of failing to deliver 'on any of his promises' to help her. Zayna Iman, who has waived her right to anonymity, is continuing to pursue authorities for access to police footage more than five years on since the incident. The 41-year-old believes she was given a substance, stripped and sexually assaulted before being left naked and distressed on the cell floor. Footage shows her cowering under a blanket and so disorientated that she urinated on herself during the ordeal at Pendleton police station in February 2021. After speaking out publicly about her claims in July 2023, Mr Burnham commissioned an independent inquiry into women's safety in GMP custody, headed up by Dame Vera Baird KC. The review was tasked with focusing on the use of strip searches, intimate searches, and removal and replacement of clothing, as well as how effectively complaints are dealt with after detainees are released. Her case was also referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). But Ms Iman said she does not feel any closer towards getting answers to questions surrounding her case and accused Mr Burnham of failing to help her. Zayna Iman, 41, has accused Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham of failing to deliver 'on any promises' to help her amid claims she was drugged and raped while in police custody As Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham - who is seeking election as a Labour MP in this week's by-election in Makerfield - is responsible for matters relating to the city's police force She also claimed the inquiry was merely a 'PR stunt' and accused GMP of continuing to employ 'predatory officers' who had not been held to account.  As the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Mr Burnham - who is seeking election as a Labour MP in this week's by-election in Makerfield - is ultimately responsible for looking into matters relating to the city's police force and its chief constable.   Speaking to The Telegraph, Ms Iman said: 'Surely having predatory officers working for Greater Manchester Police and allowing that to continue for the last five years – that can’t be safe.  'I never asked for any form of investigation or a public review. I simply asked for the footage – it has been operation cover-up since 2021.' Ms Iman's alleged ordeal began shortly after midnight on February 5, 2021, during the second Covid lockdown, when officers arrived at her home.  The former service industry worker had never had involvement with police before but that night, a friend concerned for her welfare, phoned 999 while she was high on cocaine. The next 48 hours saw her detained in a police cell before being transferred to hospital under the Mental Health Act - where she told staff she had been raped while in custody. The Daily Mail has seen nearly 40 hours of CCTV footage, hundreds of pages of documents, extensive medical history and spoken to several individuals connected to the case. After arriving at her front door, GMP officers spoke to Ms Iman for more than an hour through her letterbox before forcing entry. Ms Iman says she was swiftly restrained and taken into the kitchen, with bodycam footage showing her being carried into the room by a male officer. 'There were four males and one female officer there, and she had these glasses on. She walked towards me, and I remember thinking they looked huge, probably because I was high, and I just reached out for them,' Ms Iman said. Police bodycam footage disclosed to her shows her suddenly reaching for the glasses and being immediately arrested for assaulting a police officer. She was never charged with the offence. Ms Iman was taken into custody and detained under the Mental Health Act, which allows officers to remove a person to a place of safety if they are showing signs of a mental disorder. Bodycam footage shared with the Daily Mail shows her arrival at the station at around 2.20am on February 5. While in the back of the van and still appearing high, one of the male officers asks if he should turn off his bodycam. It is then switched off. The next time she is seen is in cell footage, time-stamped shortly before 3.30am, showing Ms Iman being carried into a police cell by five officers and put on the ground. Footage shows she was strip searched while at least three officers restrained her. At no point did she appear to struggle or resist the officers, and her head can be seen lolling from side to side. This is in stark contrast to earlier bodycam footage, which showed her alert, speaking quickly and eloquently to officers. After the strip search, Ms Iman is calm, quiet and largely still for the first six hours of her detention, and is appropriately dressed with a blanket over her. She appears sober. Then, at 10am on February 5, the CCTV footage cuts out. An hour later at 11am, Ms Iman is half naked and in a visibly distressed and erratic state. Not long after, cell footage shows she has been left naked, with no clean clothes or anything to cover herself, in a urine-filled cell, for almost an entire 24 hours. Minutes before her release, Ms Iman is finally given a clean blanket. As she stands up, CCTV footage shows a liquid dripping from her genitals which she claims was blood. When Ms Iman was released from custody, she was sent to a psychiatric ward at a local hospital, where she stayed for five days. Police claimed Ms Iman had been suffering an 'acute psychotic episode'.  Detailed medical notes show Ms Iman told hospital staff she had been drugged and raped, and had symptoms including severe rectal pain, rectal bleeding and a sore throat. Despite reporting being raped, a physical examination was not carried out. Multiple mental health professionals assessed her during her brief stay in hospital and notes show they found her 'pleasant in mood' and 'polite, engaging and warm'. Doctors added there was no evidence of her being 'paranoid' or 'delusional' - and that they believed she had been given a 'date rape' drug. Psychiatrists noted: 'Ms Iman does not have any prior history of mental disorder, she has been admitted with an acute psychotic episode which has resolved without treatment. It is highly likely that this is drug related - 'date rape drug' - which led to a sexual assault.' The notes added: 'Zayna believes she had been drugged and raped, the ward are of the opinion that this is not a delusional belief given her ongoing symptoms.' Ms Iman has managed to piece together details about the incident after GMP handed over footage during her time in custody requested under freedom of information laws. But she claims various key sections amounting to 4.5 hours are still missing. After being arrested, taken to Pendleton station and strip-searched, Zayna was left half-naked in her police cell GMP said in 2023 that two hours were missing due to the files being 'corrupted'. The force told Ms Iman digital specialists would be sought to help recover the footage, but to date she has not received any additional video.  The IOPC meanwhile said it had completed its report and has offered to share the findings with Ms Iman.   After being presented with the allegations, a GMCA spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'The Mayor has always been clear that a thorough investigation of Ms Iman's case by the IOPC was the right way forward, and in 2023 wrote to the IOPC to ensure that this took place. 'Following reports in the media in July 2023, the Mayor immediately commissioned the former Victims Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, to carry out an independent investigation into the experiences of people in custody in Greater Manchester, with a focus on women and girls, giving a voice to those who were failed by problematic cultures and practices. 'GMCA and GMP accepted all of the recommendations in that report, and within four months Greater Manchester ended the use of so-called 'welfare' strip searches of people in custody. 'We have also established an independent panel to hold Greater Manchester Police to account on the improvements they are making, including training for officers and support for victims and survivors.' An IOPC spokesperson said: 'We have completed our investigation report and have offered to meet the complainant to discuss our findings.'  Meanwhile a GMP spokesman said: 'We understand the concerns raised by Ms Iman’s serious allegations, which is why we referred this case to the IOPC in 2023 for an independent and rigorous review.  'We continue to provide the fullest assistance to those charged with establishing the truth, and await their findings before further comment. 'Following the issues publicly raised by Ms Iman, the Baird Inquiry was commissioned, and highlighted understandable concerns about the poor treatment of those in the report. 'By taking immediate action to implement all 26 recommendations, including ending the use of strip-search for welfare purposes, we have significantly improved our service for those in our custody.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. 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