ONE of the women who accused Alex Salmond of sexual assault has spoken out about the “direct death threats” she has received and warned she has “been scared to leave the house”.

The accuser has demanded an apology from the Faculty of Advocates over what she deemed as a failure to investigate a complaints into Ms Salmond’s QC.

Two years ago, the former first minister was acquitted of all charges against him in a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

In an interview with the Daily Record, one of the women who accused Mr Salmond has criticised delays in a Faculty of Advocates investigation into Gordon Jackson, who represented the former first minister in court, over his alleged conduct during the trial.

Footage emerged which appeared to show Mr Jackson naming two of Mr Salmond’s accusers on a train, despite strict rules protecting their anonymity.

Rape Crisis Scotland complained on behalf of the women identified in 2020 but the Faculty of Advocates has still not completled its investigation, with a key meeting to be held next week.

Speaking to the Record, one of the accusers said: “We deserve an apology from the Faculty, we deserve accountability, and we deserve it now.

“The video revealing Gordon Jackson bandying names around and smearing us not only brought the Faculty into disrepute but directly jeopardised mine and others’ safety.

"There have been repeated breaches of the contempt of court order, and it has become increasingly clear that the contempt of court act is no longer fit for purpose in a digital age.”

She added: “The women who have raised this complaint have faced injustice after injustice, on top of threatening and misogynistic abuse, particularly online, which the Crown Office has failed to protect us from in terms of our identities regularly being exposed.

“It’s meant I’ve been scared to leave the house, had direct death threats and my mental health has suffered severely.”

A spokesperson for the Faculty of Advocates said: “On the complaint being remitted to Faculty in August 2020, it was appointed to a complaints committee, consisting of two QCs and two lay persons.

“In light of submissions made, the complaints committee decided that certain factual matters required to be considered by an investigating committee. The latter then asked for further material, which required to be ingathered.

"A further meeting of the complaints committee is scheduled for March 25, and it is anticipated that a decision will follow shortly thereafter.

“Faculty is well aware of the need for expedition, as well as the need for fairness to all parties involved in this process. All reasonable steps are being taken to advance this to a conclusion. In the meantime, no further comment can be made."