Breaking News: Hollie Greig case exposed in today’s Scottish Sunday Express

By Ben Borland – Deputy Editor (Politics)

The Scottish Sunday Express

(The following is a direct transcript from the Scottish Sunday express print edition article on Sunday 31st July, 2011)

The Lord Advocate has been urged to carry out a “thorough review” to find out why no one has been brought to justice in the case of a Down’s Syndrome woman who police say was abused as a child.

Hollie Greig, now 31, alleges she was sexually assaulted for 14 years from the age of 6, before finally telling her mother, Anne, about her ordeal in 2000.

Grampian Police did investigate but, along with the Procurator Fiscal’s office in the North East, concluded there was not enough evidence to bring a prosecution.

However, documents show that a doctor and the investigating officers “were all of the opinion that [Hollie] had been the victim of… sexual abuse in the past.”

Two years ago Hollie was paid £13,500 in criminal injuries compensation after a Grampian detective described her as a “truthful witness” and an “innocent victim”. A further police probe was launched but last year the crown office said there was not enough “credible evidence” to take action.

Now at least two English MPs have written to Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland to raise their concerns at the decision not to bring criminal proceedings.

In one letter, Andrew George, Liberal MP for St. Ives in Cornwall states: “There appears to be a lot of evidence allegations which point in one direction and indicates that this whole case deserves a thorough review”

He adds: “Many of the professionals with whom she came into contact have allegedly failed in their duties or even covered up important facts.”

Conservative MP David Ruffley, MP for Bury St. Edmunds, also wrote to express his concerns about the “appalling case”

The Scottish Sunday Express understands that Prime Minister David Cameron has even been made aware of the allegations but is satisfied that it is purely a Scottish matter.

Hollie and Anne, who now live in Shropshire, have become the focus of an extensive Internet campaign, with a number of blogs and social networking pages set up to discuss the case. Sarah Brown, the former Prime Minister’s wife, is among 3000 ‘friends’ of the ‘Hollie Demands Justice’ Facebook page.

There is furious debate on a number of allegations, including the claim that Hollie was a victim of a paedophile ring. Others believe there has been a sinister “cover up” by the authorities, including the Crown Office, Grampian Police and the Scottish Government.

Many outlandish complaints were dismissed by former police watchdog for Scotland, Jim Martin, who looked into the case in 2008.

However Mr. Martin also published a letter from a Detective Inspector in Aberdeen, which was sent to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in September 2003.

It states: The position, as far as I can determine it, is that there seems a sufficiency of evidence to accept, on the balance of probability, that [Hollie] was sexually abused.”

Criminal injuries compensation requires a lower level of proof than the courts.

Robert Green, the Greig family’s lay legal advisor, said the tragic case is a “real can of worms” and demanded a public enquiry.

A Crown Office spokesman said: “The Lord advocate has received a letter from Andrew George MP and has issued a response.”

Yesterday, Mr. George released the contents of Mr. Mulholland’s reply. In it, he states: “Very careful consideration was given to the material by Crown Council who concluded that there was insufficient admissible, credible and reliable evidence in respect of these allegations.”