New Sexual Assault Allegation Filed Against Deceased Alex Salmond

Police Scotland has received a fresh allegation of a non-recent sexual assault against Alex Salmond, who previously served as first minister. Salmond passed away suddenly last month after suffering a heart attack while attending a conference in North Macedonia. In 2020, a jury acquitted him of 13 sexual offence charges, which included attempted rape. Alex Salmond’s solicitor has chosen not to comment. On Sunday, a spokesperson for Police Scotland stated: “We can confirm that we have received a report of a non-recent sexual assault. The information is being assessed.” The police force indicated that it was unable to release further details on the matter at this time. The reason for the timing of this allegation remains unclear. While a prosecution against Salmond himself is not possible due to his death, the police may investigate whether any other criminal offences were committed by other individuals. The Herald newspaper also reported that up to six women approached the Scottish National Party (SNP) two years ago with complaints concerning Salmond. According to the newspaper, these complaints were understood to be of a sexual nature and were presented to party executives, who did not pursue them further. Citing a “party insider,” The Herald stated that “five or six” complaints regarding “inappropriate behaviour of a sexual nature” were reported to the party, with some dating back to the 1980s. Salmond resigned from the SNP in 2018 and subsequently founded an alternative independence-supporting party named Alba, leading it until his death. The SNP informed BBC Scotland News that its disciplinary procedures could only be applied to current party members. Chris McEleny, general secretary of the Alba Party, asserted that Salmond had been cleared by a court of law and claimed the former first minister was the target of a smear campaign. Mr. McEleny further alleged that associates of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon were responsible for the attacks on Salmond’s character. Salmond was acquitted of sexual offence charges following a trial in 2020. He had faced 13 charges, including attempted rape, but was found not guilty on all counts after two weeks of evidence presented at the High Court in Edinburgh. The women who brought these allegations against Salmond, which spanned his tenure as first minister, included an SNP politician, a party worker, and several current and former Scottish government civil servants and officials. During his testimony in court, Salmond contended that the claims made about his alleged conduct were “deliberate fabrications for a political purpose” or “exaggerations.” Salmond’s lawyer informed the court that the former first minister “could certainly have been a better man” but had not committed any crimes. The lawyer added that his client had at times behaved inappropriately, describing him as “touchy-feely.” Two subsequent inquiries into the conduct of ministers and officials led Salmond to assert his belief that many within his former party had conspired against him in an attempt to prevent his return to frontline politics.