Woman jailed after inventing story of sex abuse by grooming gang

A woman who falsely claimed to have been the victim of a sex grooming gang and human trafficking has been jailed for eight and a half years.

Eleanor Williams, 22, of Teasdale Road, Walney, was found guilty of eight counts of perverting the course of justice following a trial which concluded in January, having previously admitted one count.

The charges arose after Williams falsely accused multiple men over a period of three years of raping and trafficking her.

Williams was sentenced today (March 14) to eight-and-a-half years in prison.

Williams posted pictures on social media of injuries she claimed had come after she'd been taken to a house and raped.

However, prosecutors said the injuries were self-inflicted with a blood-stained hammer found by police at her home.

Victims told the court how Williams had put them through hell and ruined their lives after falsely claiming she had been trafficked and beaten.

She claimed she had been passed around for sex "for years" across the North of England by an Asian gang who drugged her, beat her, blackmailed her and threatened her with weapons.

Her Facebook post in 2020 was shared more than 100,000 times and sparked demonstrations in her home town of Barrow-in-Furness.

The court heard she had accused multiple men of rape going back to 2017.

During her trial, Williams was asked about several occasions when she was reported missing by her mother and was found injured and incoherent by police at locations across the north, including in Morecambe and Lancaster.

These included on November 29 2019, when officers found her collapsed and injured on the Millennium Bridge in Lancaster.

She was taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and told the jury she was “off her head” after being given drugs at a party.

A few days later she was found at Morecambe railway station, and again said she had been at parties where she had been forced to have sex with men.

On March 13 2020, a conductor on a train from Lancaster to Barrow spotted her dishevelled and called the police, worried for her welfare. She told the jury she had “done a runner” from a sex party in Lancaster, where three Asian men “cut my boobs”.

A selfie taken by Williams was shown to the jury, which she said showed the knife wounds on her breasts.

The image was produced by the defence and was not one examined by a forensic pathologist earlier in the trial, who concluded that Williams had repeatedly caused her own injuries.

Williams denied telling a "pack of lies" and told the court she wanted "people to know what was going on in Barrow, still is going on".

Following the sentencing, Senior Investigating Officer Doug Marshall said: “It is important for people to understand that these were far from victimless crimes. Williams named specific individuals as being responsible for trafficking and abusing her – individuals who were found to have committed no such offences.

“In a number of cases, her claims led to innocent men being arrested by officers who, understandably, took such appalling allegations seriously.

“Williams had produced compelling evidence when reporting her abuse. However, as detectives investigated her accounts, they found evidence that Williams had not only lied but had concocted evidence to support her allegations including creating fake Snapchat accounts and inflicting injuries on herself.

“Cases such as this, where someone has invented crimes and concocted evidence, are extremely rare.

“What is, sadly, not rare is physical and sexual abuse against children and young adults. It occurs in Barrow, in Cumbria and across the country.

“I can assure the public that we are committed to doing everything in our power – alongside partner agencies – to stop such abuse before it occurs and bring perpetrators to justice when abuse has taken place.

"Anyone who has suffered physical or sexual abuse - whether recent or non-recent - is encouraged to pick up the phone and contact police today. They will be supported and their reports will be treated sensitively and investigated thoroughly by highly-trained detectives."

Superintendent for Policing in Westmorland and Furness, Matt Pearman, said: “In May 2020, the defendant posted images of her injuries to Facebook, claiming she had been the victim of sexual and physical abuse.

“More than two years on from that act, we are still working to repair the damage done in the community.

“In the aftermath of the social media post and Williams’ subsequent arrest, protests began which, whatever their motive, negatively impacted public confidence in the police in Barrow. In some quarters, protesters sought to actively discourage victims from reporting abuse to the police.

“The fall-out also led directly to hate crime being perpetrated against members of the Asian community.

“My biggest concern throughout this period has been that these false allegations would discourage genuine victims of abuse from coming forward to ourselves and our partners.

“It is important to note that Williams allegations’ could not have been taken any more seriously when she initially came forward. A large-scale investigation was launched and those she made allegations against were arrested and interviewed.

“This has been a lengthy, complex and ultimately tragic case, as well as a dark period for Barrow. I hope that the full story, now it is in the public domain, will demonstrate that the police take allegations of sexual and physical abuse extremely seriously and will investigate thoroughly

“I urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual or physical abuse to report it today. You will be listened to and supported.”

Head of Crime for Cumbria Constabulary, Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Stalker said: “Whilst we have seen extremely serious offences committed and major investigations carried out in Cumbria, this case is unique in magnitude and impact it had and the far-reaching consequences which resulted from it – the catalyst of which was a singular social media post.

“It is something we are continuing to recover from in terms of rebuilding trust and confidence within our communities and with partners – all as a result of claims that were made maliciously and without foundation.

“That is why we are taking this opportunity to once again reiterate to the public our commitment to tackling sexual abuse in all its forms.

“I encourage any victim, whether of recent or non-recent offending, to come forward today. You will be liaised with discreetly and sensitively. We have a number of specially-trained officers to help and support you, as well as strong relationships with partners and voluntary organisations.”