Allegations of rape are a matter for the police to investigate in accordance with their internal guidance. Each case must be treated on its own individual merits and investigated thoroughly. It is then for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to decide whether or not to charge and then prosecute if the case fulfils both the evidential and public interest test as set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
There is no evidence to suggest that rates of false allegations for rape are especially high, but where there is evidence that a complaint is false, the police and CPS should consider whether the person who made the allegation should be charged with wasting police time or perverting the course of justice.