Former President Donald Trump, cult rock star Marilyn Manson, Lewis Brodie from Monifieth. Three quite different people, all with one thing in common.
All three claim sexual assault or rape charges brought against them were the result of a “conspiracy”.
Lewis Brodie is a small timer in comparison to Trump and Manson in public status but he is a convicted rapist, nonetheless.
And all three told a similar tale last week – that it was their victims who had manipulated them into this situation, rather than their own actions.
Trump – who recently graced Aberdeenshire with his presence – has been ordered to pay E Jean Carroll $5 million, after a jury found him guilty of sexually abusing and then defaming her in the 1990s.
The verdict is the result of a civil case, meaning the only sanction Trump will face is financial.
But it is the first time a former US president has been legally branded a sexual predator.
Trump subsequently posted on social media platform Truth, proclaiming the trial a “witch-hunt”.
According to Allied Press, Manson filed a suit last year alleging former partner Evan Rachel Wood and another woman named as Illma Gore, defamed him.
The one-time shock-rocker turned defendant in a number of sexual assault cases claimed the women had intentionally caused him emotional distress and derailed his career in music, TV and film.
His case was thrown out by a California judge. Most of his other alleged victims have settled out-of-court.
Rapist Lewis Brodie caught by MeToo movement
Monifieth rapist Lewis Brodie was a guitar player in a metal band in Dundee, which enjoyed moderate success online.
He raped three women. One was 15. Another was drunk and withdrew consent during a sexual act. The other was vulnerable and lived in homeless accommodation.
His crimes spanned almost a decade, the first committed when he was only a youngster himself.
But Brodie unwittingly orchestrated his own downfall.
As he sentenced him to eight years in prison, Lord Ericht pointed out that he had only came to the attention of police after he made a complaint against his victims.
He was upset they were saying mean things about him online when they were, in fact, detailing what he had subjected them to.
Lord Ericht noted that had it not been for the MeToo movement, Brodie “might have escaped justice”.
Well, that and his own hubris.
Lewis Brodie – rapist and swaggering conspiracy-theorist
Brodie swaggered through the Dundee High Court building during the week of his trial.
He uploaded his music to social media sites in the days and weeks leading up to it, seemingly oblivious to his fate.
He still believes there was a conspiracy against him – that three women all decided to reveal their darkest secrets to a court, that they volunteered to be placed under extreme scrutiny and pressure by defence counsel – accused of lying or exaggerating or that consent had been given – rather than the truth.
The truth, the jury concluded, is that Brodie is a sex-offender, a manipulator, a serial rapist.
In his eyes he is the “victim”.
But in less than eight years, he will be released from Perth Prison.
The real victims will have to live with his actions for life.
Men are not the victims here
Brodie’s persistent claims of innocence, his z-list status in a heavy metal band, and the fact he landed himself in it meant this case got much more attention than it might have otherwise.
At the High Court in Edinburgh today, Lord Ericht sentenced Lewis Brodie to 8 years imprisonment after the offender was convicted of three charges of rape.https://t.co/UHHAArcYgd
— Judges Scotland (@JudgesScotland) May 9, 2023
It might lead to the impression Brodie’s conviction was commonplace.
But figures released by the Scottish Government in May 2021 showed almost a quarter of trials for rape or attempted rape resulted in a not proven verdict.
Only 51% of rape and attempted rape trials result in a conviction, compared to a 91% overall conviction rate.
In 2020-21 there were 2,176 rapes and attempted rapes reported to the police, but only 152 prosecutions and just 78 convictions, according to Rape Crisis Scotland.
The statistics are the main driver for controversial reform of rape legislation, including a Scottish Government plan for juryless trials.
We live in a post-truth age.
And if there is a conspiracy, these men are not its victims.
Paul Malik is a court reporter with The Courier.
