Former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond cleared of sex assault charges
March 23, 2020, 6:07 pm

Former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond cleared of sex assault charges

Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond arrives at the High Court in Edinburgh, Scotland

Alex Salmond, former Scottish National Party leader and first minister of Scotland, has been acquitted of sexual assault charges by a jury at Edinburgh's High Court. Alex Salmond

After about six hours of deliberation, the jury found Salmond not guilty on 12 charges of attempted rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault. A further charge, sexual assault with attempt to rape, was "not proven by majority.”

Salmond had denied all of the charges, which were made by nine women who are all either former Scottish government officials or SNP politicians, as "deliberate fabrications" for political purposes.

The allegations against the former first minister, who presents a show on RT UK, spanned six years between 2008 and 2014.

The verdicts were read out on Monday after an 11-day trial. His defense team had argued that the charges had come from the same "political bubble" with no direct witnesses, and noted there had been inconsistencies in the testimonies of the women. Alex Salmond

Speaking to reporters outside the court, Salmond said he had been through a "nightmare." He then said that was nothing compared to the nightmare the world is going through with the Covid-19 pandemic and advised reporters to go home and "take care of your families, and God help us all."

Two members of the jury were dismissed on Monday morning, apparently concerning concerns over the Covid-19 outbreak, some reports said. The trial was also moved to a large courtroom due to fears around the transmission of the virus. levant

source: Reuters levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”