Description
Firecrest Films for BBC Two and BBC Three
In May 2020 19 year-old Ellie Williams posted an extraordinary Facebook message. “This is the hardest post I’m ever going to write...” she began, before detailing horrifying sexual and physical assaults she said she’d suffered for years at the hands of an Asian grooming gang. Her post was accompanied by photos of her horrendous injuries – bruises, cuts, an eye swollen shut, a severed finger.
Ellie’s message quickly went viral, prompting a flood of support in her hometown of Barrow-in-Furness and beyond, as thousands reposted and demanded action.
The police’s response was immediate. Within an hour they had made an arrest. But shockingly, it was Ellie herself who was arrested. She was charged with seven counts of perverting the course of justice, accused of making multiple false allegations.
Now for the first time, the truth about Ellie’s claims can be laid bare. This hour-long film features never-before-seen police footage of her and hears for the first time from the officers at the heart of the case, the specialist detectives who treated Ellie as a victim of serious crime until they realised they were investigating something very different. It examines why her allegations resonated and the devastating impact they had in Barrow and beyond.
Awards:
- Winner of Best Single Documentary - 2024 Scottish BAFTAs