Eleanor Williams went viral online with her horrific tales of rape – but few knew they were completely false.
Williams, then 22, was later jailed for eight-a-half-years in March 2023 after lying about being trafficked and sexually abused by an Asian grooming gang. The young woman shared disturbing pictures of her injuries and disturbing lies on Facebook back in May 2020, in a post that was shared more than 100,000 times.
Her falsehoods sparked unprecedented protests in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and fundraising efforts to support her campaign reached £22,000. Now, a Channel 4 documentary titled Accused: The Fake Grooming Scandal follows how the chaos unfolded and what impact it had on the British Asian community.
Williams was 17 when she made her first rape allegation, and she later withdrew her claim. Eighteen months later, she made allegations against a second man who spent 10 weeks in prison, before being released. She went on to claim an Asian grooming gang forced her to have sex with several men.
In a bid to back up her lies, she fabricated evidence by creating fake social media profiles to send messages to herself, which she claimed were from her abusers. She also deliberately injured herself with a hammer. In a police video in the documentary, Williams describes one ‘attack’: “He had a knife and was waving it around… [He] pulled me into the bathroom by my hair, stripped me naked and was hitting me with the shower head.”
Her allegations, between 2016 and 2020, led to attacks on members of the Asian community and caused three people to try and take their own lives. In January 2023, Williams was found guilty at Preston Crown Court on eight counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice. She pleaded guilty to one count.
In March, she was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison. At sentencing, Judge Robert Altham said: “It is troubling to say the least that she shows no significant signs of remorse… Unless and until the defendant chooses to say why she has told these lies we will not know.”
The judge also said: “We are aware the sex trafficking of young females does occur. There is a risk genuine victims will be put off reporting and fear they will not be believed I am sure anyone investigating will do everything they can to support them. It is troubling she appears to show no remorse.”
After she was locked up, furious well-wishers who donated cash to Williams demanded answers as to the whereabouts of their money. A private social media page set up for the fake ‘justice’ campaign collected as much as £22,000. In April 2024, it was announced the cash would be donated to charities to help the homeless and survivors of domestic abuse.
Williams’ mum Allison broke her silence on the issue on the Facebook group: “I have been waiting for some time to be able to put out a post on this page in regards to the money raised in 2020 for Ellie. I want to be as open and transparent as I possibly can, however, I must be mindful of legal challenges. Based on the legal advise I have received I feel confident that I am finally able to update people safely regarding the situation around the money. The remaining funds I was holding have finally been donated in full.”
As for why her daughter stooped to such destructive levels, Alison believes it was part of a desperate bid for attention. She told Sky News: “[I’m] heartbroken. I can’t describe it. I still can’t take it in really. It just doesn’t feel real. The person the press are portraying is not the person I know.” While she said she accepted that her daughter had told lies, she added: “I believe she was just trying to get people to listen to her.”
Earlier last year, Williams was the subject of a Sky News podcast titled Unreliable Witness and revealed she had been ‘really busy’ working behind bars. In a letter replying to the podcast’s request for comment, she said: “Sorry I haven’t replied. I’ve been really busy, and I know it sounds crazy because I’m in jail, but I have just started work in here for an outside company and I have a reception orderly job as well so I’m working from 8.30 to 8.30 every day, and never seem to have a moment spare.”
She told the reporter she was learning to drive forklift trucks and that she loved her new job. “I’m OK now,” she wrote. “The trial was hard but I’m moving forward now. Just working hard to make the days go quicker and I’ll be out of here soon enough.” She added: “Not many people want to hear my side of the story, and no one ever has. The media only says what sells and not the rest of it.”
Jordan Trengrove, aged 18, was arrested after Williams, who he had only met on a night out once, claimed to police he had raped her at a flat. Eventually, Jordan was released from jail and his charges dropped. He shared how he tried to take his own life in front of his mother after locals started to believe Williams’ lies.
He told The Sun last March: “She was getting so much support and there was so much grief… I wanted away from it all.” Even though he was proven innocent, Jordan said people refused to believe him. He claimed he told his partner that they had two years to move because he didn’t want to be in the area when William was released from jail.
Last week, Williams, 24, was released from prison, ahead of the halfway point in her sentence, to serve the rest of her time on licence. A HM Prison and Probation Service spokesperson said: “Any individuals released on licence are subject to probation supervision, strict licence conditions and face a return to prison if they break them.”
Some Barrow locals condemned the early release. One person, posting on a local newspaper website, said: “This is absolutely disgusting! She’s barely served any of her eight-year sentence! How is this justice for what she did to those poor men.”
Mohammed Ramzan, 43, who Williams claimed had groomed her from the age of 12 before putting her to work in brothels in Amsterdam and sold her at an auction there, was also proven innocent. The court heard that his bank card was being used at a B&Q in Barrow at the time she was in the Netherlands with her sister and sister’s boyfriend.
Mr Ramzan told the court: “I have had countless death threats made over social media from people all over the world because of what they thought I was involved in.” Following the hearing, he said outside court: “There’s no winners here today, I feel no sense of triumph, only sadness. I’m not sure how the family and I are going to recover from this. Mud sticks and I fear it may take some time.”
- Accused: The Fake Grooming Scandal airs on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight.
If you are struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch.
