LONDON — A rape survivor who helped expose convicted attacker James Clacher has spoken exclusively to Sky News, describing him as a “monster” and recalling how she came “face-to-face with evil.”
The woman, known as “Elle”, is Clacher’s first known victim. She met him through Tinder, and within 15 minutes of their first meeting in 2019, he violently raped her. In 2020, he went on to attack another woman.
Last week, thanks in part to a tip-off to Sky News, Clacher, 57, was found guilty of multiple rapes at the High Court in Glasgow. However, before facing justice, Clacher faked his death in May 2022 and fled from Scotland to Spain, attempting to escape trial.
In a shocking twist, Elle herself was arrested five months later, in October 2022, by Police Scotland. Officers detained her at her home and charged her under the Communications Act 2003, accusing her of harassing Clacher’s family while trying to track him down.
Elle denied the allegations, telling Sky News:
“I was trying to find where my rapist was. I was absolutely desperate for justice.”
Court records revealed that she had posted messages on Facebook and contacted Clacher’s friends and relatives, calling him a “rapist” and accusing them of “supporting a rapist.” Some of the messages dated back to late 2020.
Ultimately, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) dropped the case against Elle. She is now considering a formal complaint against Police Scotland.
Elle described her treatment by authorities as “an utter disgrace,” and expressed frustration over how victims of violent crime are handled in the justice system.
Scottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay, who supported Elle after her arrest, called her experience “shocking and concerning.” He praised her for her resilience and criticized the justice system’s treatment of crime victims.
“She has shown incredible strength to secure justice. Her ordeal shows how victims are often failed by the system,” he said.
Despite being vindicated, Elle’s experience highlights the severe flaws in the criminal justice process — where a rape victim can be treated as a criminal, while the attacker attempted to vanish without a trace.
