A rapist’s Valentine’s Day release appeal fails. The survivor expresses relief, feeling both broken and unheard.
Ellie Wilson was Daniel McFarlane’s girlfriend. He raped her at Glasgow University.
The parole board met on February 14. They said McFarlane’s release bid will be reviewed. This review will happen in a year. He was jailed for five years in July 2022.
McFarlane was a medical student. He raped Ellie twice in 2017 and 2018. He tried to obstruct justice. A Glasgow court convicted him. He is from Inverness and is 26.
Ellie posted on X. She said he is not being released now and they will check his parole in a year. She is relieved but feels broken, feeling she suffered for no reason. She wants the process changed and time to relax.
Ellie waived her anonymity. Gathering proof helped snare McFarlane. She had recordings and message screenshots. He admitted the crime in messages.
He told a friend he did awful things. He then tried to get the friend to delete texts. He is on the sex offenders register without end. McFarlane appealed his conviction three times. The Supreme Court denied his last bid in 2023.
The parole board banned Ellie from the hearing. It was on February 14. His lawyers objected to her presence, and she had asked to move the hearing date, but they denied her request.
Since the conviction, Ellie has campaigned for survivors. She wants justice system reform. She filed a complaint against McFarlane’s lawyer. The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission upheld it.
Ellie helped get free court transcripts for survivors. This was a success with the Scottish Government.
She has campaigned for parole changes. She says the system is not working. The First Minister met with her recently with Justice Secretary Constance. They heard her concerns about parole transparency.