Sympathy from man she said was a rapist
A WEALTHY financier yesterday sent his condolences to the family of the woman who killed herself after he launched a private prosecution against her because she had accused him of rape.
Alexander Economou, 35, said the death of Eleanor de Freitas, 23, was a ‘great loss’ as her father asked a coroner to investigate why the Crown pursued the case against his daughter.
Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders is personally overseeing an inquiry into lawyers’ decision to put the vulnerable young woman on trial.
Miss de Freitas, a brilliant former Durham University student who suffered from a psychiatric illness, told detectives that Mr Economou raped her just before Christmas 2012.
Police investigated her allegations but closed the case after concluding that gaps in the evidence meant they would not be able to secure a conviction.
Despite being told he would not face charges, Mr Economou paid for his own inquiry in an attempt to show he was innocent.
As part of the effort to clear his name, he assembled emails, text messages, details of phone calls and CCTV footage of him and Miss de Freitas together.
He then started a private prosecution against Miss de Freitas for perverting the course of justice by allegedly lying to police. The whole process is said to have cost him £200,000.
The Crown Prosecution Service took over the case but decided against using its powers to throw it out, leaving her frightened and devastated.
Bipolar disorder sufferer Miss de Freitas killed herself in April this year, three days before the start of her trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court.
Mr Economou’s father Angelo, 62, is a successful businessman of Greek origin who was born in Britain. He runs UK-registered firm Time and Tide Shipping, and lives in a £830,000 house in Chiddingfold, Surrey.
Mr Economou is the company secretary of his father’s firm and a former director of a helicopter training school. Companies House documents list his occupation as ‘financial analyst’.
He lives in a £900,000 flat in an exclusive mansion block overlooking the upmarket King’s Road in Chelsea, west London. His father’s wealth appears to explain how Mr Economou was able to buy his Chelsea flat in his own name for £245,000 in 1999, when he was just 20.
He declined to comment yesterday, but his spokesman said: ‘He sends his condolences to the family for this very unfortunate event. It is a great loss.’
An inquest into Miss de Freitas’s death was adjourned yesterday following Mrs Saunders’ intervention.
West London coroner Chinyere Inyama said he needed to know the remit of the CPS investigation before deciding on the scope of his hearing, which will probably be held in front of a jury.
Lawyers for Miss de Freitas’ parents called for the inquest to
‘He sends his condolences’
look at whether there were adequate measures in place to protect people who report rapes.
Catherine Oborne, representing the young woman’s family, said: ‘ We specifically request any advice on evidence and any correspondence between the police and the CPS in relation to the decision by the CPS to continue the prosecution against Eleanor.
‘ It is quite an unusual case which brings to light areas where there are not such adequate procedures.
‘The question we want to ask the court to consider is whether there are sufficient safeguarding policies, processes and procedures to protect rape claimants and prevent prosecutions of rape claimants.’ Miss de Freitas’ father David, 59, a financial planner from Fulham, west London, complained to officers that he was harassed after the private prosecution against his daughter was launched.
Miss Oborne told the coroner yesterday: ‘We will be asking you to take into consideration the way the police investigated claims of harassment made to Mr de Freitas during the private prosecution.
‘But also the overall oversight of the private prosecution process which, as it is in this case, allows the alleged perpetrator to enter a prosecution against the complainant. We also want to explore whether there are sufficient processes, policies and safeguards to ensure there is communication between the public authority for prosecution and the public authority for health.’
Mr Economou is not required to attend the inquest, according to his spokesman.
Miss de Freitas achieved straight As at A-Level at the private Putney High School before starting a geography degree at Durham University, but she dropped out after her mental state deteriorated.
Before her death, she was studying for financial services exams and was in a loving relationship with a boyfriend she met at Durham. But she was ‘ground down’ when the CPS took over the private prosecution, her father said.
Mr de Freitas said he welcomed Mrs Saunders’ pledge to investigate the case, but added: ‘It very much falls into the category of too little too late.’ ÷ For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 08457 909090 or visit a local Samaritans branch.