 | This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. (May 2024) |
Eleanor Williams | |
|---|---|
&sq=crain_ford&lang=en&file=File:Police_found_the_injuries_Eleanor_Williams_posted_photos_of_on_Facebook_had_been_self-inflicted.jpg) Williams used a hammer to inflict injuries on herself, then posted photos on Facebook claiming someone had attacked her | |
| Born | 26 November 2000 |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Making false claims of rape, grooming and trafficking |
| Criminal status | Released early on licence |
| Motive | Unknown |
| Criminal charge | Nine counts of perverting the course of justice |
| Penalty | Eight and a half years imprisonment |
| Details | |
Span of crimes | 2017–2020 |
Date apprehended | July 2019 (first arrest) and May 2020 (second arrest) |
Eleanor Williams (born 26 November 2000) is an English convicted criminal, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England who made false claims of multiple serious crimes, including accusations of trafficking, rape by a group of men of Asian descent, blackmail, and physical violence, none of which were found to have occurred. Following her 2022 trial, Williams was found guilty on nine counts of perverting the course of justice, contrary to English common law. She was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.
The fictitious claims spread by Williams on the internet had lasting impacts, including multiple attempted suicides, a rise in racially motivated violence against the Asian community, and contributed to aspects of the Online Safety Act 2023, which criminalises the spread of false, harmful information online.