Woman says she is ‘vindicated’ after judge rules footballers did rape her
The woman who brought a successful civil action against two footballers she accused of raping her has said she has been “vindicated” by the decision.
Denise Clair took the action after prosecutors failed to take David Goodwillie and his former Dundee United team-mate David Robertson to court.
The men have now been ordered to pay £100,000 in compensation to her after a judge ruled that they raped her in Armadale, West Lothian, in January 2011.
Ms Clair, who previously waived her right to anonymity, was left “devastated, upset and confused’’ when she was told the men would not be prosecuted.
Goodwillie, currently with Plymouth Argyle, had been accused of serious sexual assault, but the charge was dropped in July that year.
Robertson was also questioned in connection with the incident.
Ms Clair had originally sought£ 500,000 incompensation but damages of £100,000 were agreed in the civil action at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. She said she was initially offered £40,000 plus expenses, and then £50,000 plus expenses, not to proceed with her action.
The 30-year-old mother added: “There was a pre-trial meeting of the advocates in Edinburgh on September 21. An increased offer on behalf of both men of £115,000, including expenses, was made. Again, I refused.
“Lord Armstrong awarded me £100,000 – less than the players wanted to buy me off with – and most of it will be swallowed up by legal costs. I don’t mind, though. All that matters is that I am vindicated.
“I wanted the truth to emerge and no amount of money would have bought my silence or made up for the suffering I, and my family, endured.”
She insisted: “I would never have accepted anything out of court. I was never for sale.”
In his ruling on the case Lord Armstrong said that having “carefully examined and scrutinised the whole evidence” he found that the evidence for Ms Clair, the pursuer, was “cogent, persuasive and compelling”.