Last week, footballer Ched Evans was acquitted for rape after a retail, five years after having sex with the now 24-year-old woman in a hotel room.
He was found not guilty after the jury were allowed to hear the sexual history of the accuser, sparking international outrage among women and men who believe that the court's decision to scrutinise a complainant's sexual behaviors sets a dangerous precedent and could deter women from coming forward to report sexual assault.
Now, according to The Metro, his accuser is planning to leave the UK for Australia after receiving abuse from trolls online.
As a result, a woman called Jean Hatchet has launched a GoFundMe fundraising page to raise £50,000 for the complainant 'to show her there are others in the world who care what has happened to her and care what happens to her now'.
'We want her to have a gift to use as she chooses; to have a gesture that shows we hope she finds some peace,' she writes on the page before proposing half of the money raised should go to help other victims of sexual violence via Rape Crisis.
So far, over £11,000 has been raised in less than two days of the page being created, and you can donate money here.
Money will in no way make up for the trolling and accusations now faced by the woman at the heart of the trial, but donating is a way of showing her she has supporters.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
