Eleanor Williams: False rape claims have 'caused harm' to survivors

Eleanor Williams claimed she had been attacked by traffickers, but the jury heard she caused her own injuries

A woman raped by grooming gangs fears the case of Eleanor Williams has "caused a lot of harm" for genuine survivors of abuse.

Sammy Woodhouse, who was abused in Rotherham from the age of 14, said it had set progress back "a long way".

Williams, of Barrow, Cumbria, was given an eight-and-a-half year sentence on Tuesday after lying about being raped and trafficked for sex.

The 22-year-old was convicted of perverting the course of justice.

Her Facebook post in May 2020 showing injuries she said had been inflicted by groomers was shared more than 100,000 times and sparked protests in her home town.

A trial at Preston Crown Court heard she inflicted the wounds herself using a hammer she had bought from Tesco.

Three men Williams falsely accused of rape over a three-year period tried to take their own lives.

Ms Woodhouse, who is a campaigner for survivors of abuse, told BBC Breakfast: "I've spent every day for 10 years reliving my trauma to try to raise awareness and encourage people to come forward and then you get someone like Ellie come along with all these lies.

"It feels like it does take us back quite a long way. It's been really challenging. She's caused a lot of harm.

"There are so many of us that come forward to tell the truth. We just want to get justice and support in some way.

"When Ellie came forward everybody got behind her. To find out she wasn't being honest and all the harm it's caused - not just to the three people that she falsely accused but to us as a cause - it feels like it [has undone progress].

"There will be people who don't want to come forward after seeing everything that's happened.

"I would always encourage someone to come forward. I know it's difficult. I've been there and lived it. You've got to keep pushing forward whether that's to police or support services."

Sammy Woodhouse said she would always encourage victims to abuse to speak up

Nazir Afzal, who was chief crown prosecutor in the Rochdale grooming gang cases in 2012, described false abuse claims as "really rare" but warned they can have a significant impact.

"Perverting the course of justice is a very serious offence because it damages confidence in the justice system. The three men have self-harmed and tried to kill themselves, their lives have been absolutely devastated and the whole town of Barrow has suffered.

"There were demonstrations and an enormous amount of angst.

"Cumbria Police [conducted] a really good investigation and brought someone to justice for what they did. We need to move on from that and recognise this is just a one-off.

"Ninety-nine per cent of complainants are genuine. What we need to do is investigate properly and ensure [cases] are brought to court and people are prosecuted.

"I think the saddest thing is we don't know why [this happened]. From experience, when people lie it's because they are attention-seeking or there are mental health reasons, outside pressure or fear of consequences, but we don't know [in this case].

"I imagine it's a combination of all those. It wasn't just one lie. It was a combination that had such a devastating effect on people."