Liar: The Fake Grooming Scandal

In May 2020, Ellie Williams posted an extraordinary Facebook message. ‘This is the hardest post I’m ever going to write…’ she began, before detailing horrifying sexual and physical assaults she said she’d suffered for years at the hands of an Asian grooming gang. Her post was accompanied by photos of her horrendous injuries – bruises, cuts, an eye swollen shut, a severed finger. Ellie’s message quickly went viral, prompting a flood of support in her hometown of Barrow-in-Furness and beyond, as thousands reposted and demanded action. But, shockingly, it was Ellie herself who was arrested. She was charged with seven counts of perverting the course of justice and accused of making multiple false allegations.