A woman has been sentenced to eight and a half years in jail after she injured herself with a hammer to falsely claim she had been raped by a gang.
Eleanor Williams, 22 from Barrow, United Kingdom, was sentenced today, Tuesday, March 14.
She was previously found guilty on eight counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice after she accused five men of rape, leading to one being jailed and leaving others' lives in tatters.
Williams was 16 when she made the first false claim she had been r@ped at a party in Barrow. She later claimed she had been r@ped after a night out at Manhattans nightclub, where she worked, and again at her flat by the same man.
She went on to say she had been groomed from the age of 12, forced to attend sex parties across the north of England and taken to Ibiza where the abuse continued. She said she had been sold as a slave at an auction in Amsterdam while on holiday with her sister.
Williams had published pictures of her injuries and an account of being groomed, trafficked and beaten, on Facebook in May 2020, in a post which was shared more than 100,000 times.
It sparked demonstrations in her hometown and led to English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson visiting the town to “investigate” the claims.
In a letter to judges, Williams apologised for "some mistakes" and said she was "young and confused".
She wrote: "I know I have made some mistakes and I am sorry but I was young and confused. When I wrote the Facebook post I never intended causing issues in the community. I am devastated at the consequences it has had on Barrow. I was discharged from hospital that morning and was in a bad way....I wasn't thinking straight.
"Me and my family publicly stated we didn't want Tommy Robinson in the town as I do not agree with his views and know the damage he has caused."
Some of the falsely accused men gave statements ahead of her sentencing, opening up about the impact the accusations had on their lives.
Jordan Trengove, who was arrested three times on false allegations, said: "We had the word 'r@pist' sprayed on the house...