GP Father of Convicted Rapist Accused of Online Harassment, Victim Speaks Out

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A rape victim has urged authorities to act swiftly after claiming she’s been subjected to a disturbing online harassment campaign by the father of her convicted attacker, a practising general practitioner in Inverness.

Ellie Wilson, whose rapist was convicted and sentenced to five years in 2022, says she now finds herself retraumatised, alleging that Dr Andrew McFarlane, the father of her attacker, has posted defamatory and threatening material about her online. The case is now being looked into by the General Medical Council (GMC), the regulatory body for doctors in the United Kingdom.

Dr McFarlane, who works under NHS Highland, has repeatedly refused to accept the High Court’s ruling that found his son, Daniel McFarlane, guilty of raping Ms Wilson twice. The GP has instead levelled a series of unproven accusations at the victim through social media posts, some of which include personal photos and inflammatory language.

Mounting Concerns

Ms Wilson said the situation has significantly impacted her well-being. “Andrew McFarlane claimed he has naked pictures and videos of me. I’m obviously very concerned about this,” she stated.

According to Ms Wilson, abusive content was first brought to her attention by a journalist from The Times, who informed her that the doctor had begun making public accusations and derogatory posts. “On Friday, I was alerted by a journalist at The Times that Andrew McFarlane had started posting abusive and defamatory content about me and that someone had reported him to the GMC,” she said.

She added that an anonymous account posted similar messages in 2023, including an intimate image, and she believes Dr McFarlane may have been behind it. “The most recent content is almost identical to the content on the anonymous account, leading me to believe he was behind it,” she explained.

While Dr McFarlane declined to comment directly on the claims when approached, he did provide The Sunday Times with a statement: “As a doctor, I am responsible for the care and proper management of patients I am responsible for. No patient I am responsible for has been harmed by my X account. As a Christian, I am poor and wretched and seek forgiveness for my sins from the God of all grace, but I have a duty and responsibility to stand up to the oppression and abuse of the weak and vulnerable.”

Ms Wilson, however, remains firm. “His campaign of harassment against me has severely impacted my mental health and led me to fear for my safety. His behaviour is totally inappropriate and unacceptable, and no matter how much he lies, he cannot erase the fact that (sic) his son is a rapist,” she said.

“I believe the aim of his conduct is to pressure me into silence, but I refuse to have my voice taken away. His behaviour both towards (sic) me, other witnesses (sic) and journalists is totally unacceptable. He must face consequences for his actions.”

A spokesperson for NHS Highland said they could not comment on individual staff but added, “Where concerns are raised, we will investigate in line with workforce policies and social media policy.” According to their guidance, employees may face consequences if they post abusive or discriminatory material that could damage the organisation’s reputation.

The GMC has confirmed it is assessing the situation, though no decision has been made public at this time.