In 2024 I won compensation from my rapist’s lawyer for the appalling way he treated me in court. I taught myself the law and faced off against a team of lawyers… and won. In many ways 2024 pushed me to limits, but it also showed me that I am to my core a fighter. This year was a tough year, a brutal one. I’ve faced near relentless harassment and trolling, some of which has required police intervention. I’ve had to deal with my rapist’s parole proceedings. I’ve dealt with illness and loss. But every time I got back up again.

In 3 days time a parole board will decide whether to release my rapist from prison early. This process has been traumatic and exposes the lack of care for victims. Despite the hurt, I want to use my pain for change and tomorrow I’ll be launching a campaign for parole reform 🧵 My incredible friend and fellow survivor, @hannah_mclaugh, is joining me in this fight. In a few years time she’ll also have to deal with the parole process as well. While it’s too late to change things for me, it’s not too late to change it for her and the women who come after.

One of the hardest things about being raped, wasn’t the crime itself, but the way people responded to it. His friends who justified his actions and said “it wasn’t that bad”. Those who suggested I should just try to get over it. It was as if it was a minor indiscretion. This is what rape culture looks like. It might not be people actively encouraging sexual violence overtly, but an overarching belief that in some circumstances rape is permissible and that those who complain about it are creating a fuss or being dramatic.

Last week I spoke about my own experience of domestic abuse and rape at a conference. It was supposed to be empowering, but I was informed by the organisers that they’d received threats about me speaking. I now know who sent one of the complaints, so let’s talk about it. After my rape case ended, I waived my anonymity and started advocating for change because I didn’t want anyone to go through what I did. I wanted the system to improve. Instead, I ended up facing a campaign of harassment and bullying.

I’m a rape and abuse survivor. Today I was a keynote speaker at a conference, but the organisers were sent threats and told not to let me speak. There are some who want to silence me because I expose things they’d rather keep quiet. But mark my words, I’m not going anywhere.
It seems hard to believe that in 2024 women are unable to exist freely in the public domain without risking their safety. These recent threats will be added to the ongoing police investigation, but I still fail to understand how people can stoop so low.

I came back from holiday to this - my rapist has only been in prison for just over two years, and I’m already having to start thinking about parole proceedings. I’ve only just began the process of rebuilding my life and he could be out come Christmas… where is the justice? We continually hear talk in this country about a “compassionate” and “progressive” justice system… but compassionate and progressive towards whom? It’s most definitely not the victims.

My rapist was sentenced to 5 years in prison, yet he may only serve half. Other survivors have seen their rapists get community service. Our needs are ignored. Today @ScotSentencing launched a public consultation on this. It’s time for our voices to be heard. We keep hearing talk of having a “progressive” justice system in Scotland, but how can it be progressive if we don’t hold men accountable for their actions and don’t allow survivors the space to heal?

Women are repeatedly chastised for not leaving abusive relationships, but what happens when we do? The horrifying murders of Carol, Hannah, and Louise Hunt seemingly at the hands of Louise’s ex boyfriend show just how far some men will go to maintain their control over us. When I tried to leave my abusive ex he bombarded me with hateful messages, stalked me, and then began to threaten suicide to reel me back in. Another time, after finding out he’d been unfaithful he strangled me until I lost consciousness.

It’s been two years since I waived my media anonymity following my rape case. I was sick of hearing about that “promising young man” and not THIS promising young woman. HE was the “talented athlete” whose medical career was ruined, I was just “victim”… I needed to reclaim me.

I felt so powerless and degraded watching him being humanised with these lists of accolades, while I was simply the nameless body he violated. My hopes, my dreams… all irrelevant. My first class degree, my impressive athletics career… all meaningless.

Last month my complaint against my rapist’s defence lawyer was upheld and he’d been found to have “abused his position”. Today, I learned of the penalty. He will be fined, ordered to pay me compensation, and issued with a “severe written censure”. Misogyny has consequences. This has been an immensely hard-fought battle, and I’m so proud of myself for finding the strength to pursue this. I was devastated after all he subjected me to in court, but I knew he had to be held to account. Lorenzo Alonzi lost my rapist’s case, and he lost this too.

I fought the law and I WON! After being subjected to a humiliating ordeal in court by my rapist’s defence lawyer, I started the arduous process of submitting a complaint. I had to study the law, compile it all myself, facing off against a team of lawyers… and it’s been upheld! I left court feeling traumatised, shamed, and humiliated. I was accused in court of having various personality disorders with no evidential basis. I was told I made my rapist jealous. It was implied I was promiscuous.

For too long rapists, including my rapist, have enrolled at universities without declaring their past. After campaigning on this tirelessly I’m delighted to announce that @uni_scot will now gather data on criminal convictions AND charges for such crimes from prospective students! This is monumental news, and puts to bed concerns around GDPR that institutions have been hiding behind. Ensuring appropriate safeguarding is impossible if unis aren’t aware of risks. As the legal issues relate to UK law, this sets precedent for @UniversitiesUK to follow suit.

Today a teenage girl in Croydon was murdered, seemingly for rejecting a man’s advances. I’ve been saying for quite some time that extreme misogyny and incel ideology is the fastest growing terrorist threat. Why aren’t we taking it more seriously - because it’s targeted at women? This ideology is not new, however in recent years misogynistic “influencers” like Andrew Tate have emboldened many men and boys who hold such beliefs, and moved this rhetoric towards the mainstream. Platforms like this one also allow them spaces to spread their message.

I just met a young woman who (along with 4 other women) was unknowingly living with my rapist while he was studying at @EdinburghUni and awaiting trial for his crimes against me. Buckle in 🧵 Herself and the other women were looking for a flat and eventually found one which was owned by my rapist’s parents. There was absolutely no mention of him staying there on the advert.

My name’s Ellie and I’m a rape survivor. The crime I endured changed my life, but it does NOT define me. I’m a multi-faceted individual and my “victimhood” is far from my only characteristic. So here are some other interesting things about me👇🏽 I studied politics at uni as my undergrad and unlike most, I loved my degree and I loved studying! I did a research trip to the Middle East to do conflict analysis which sparked my interest in security. I went on to do a masters in Global Security.