03 November 2024 , 13:26
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Police Scotland confirms ‘non-recent’ allegation made by a woman after Salmond’s death last month
Police are investigating a new allegation of sexual assault against the former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond.
Police Scotland confirmed it was looking into a “non-recent” allegation made by a woman after Salmond’s death last month.
Salmond, 69, had been speaking at a conference on youth leadership in North Macedonia when he suffered a heart attack.
The former SNP leader went on to found the pro-independence Alba party after falling out bitterly with his successor as first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, over her independence strategy and then Scottish government investigations into sexual harassment allegations against him.
Salmond was found not guilty of 12 charges of attempted rape, sexual assault and indecent assault after a criminal trial in 2020, while the jury delivered the uniquely Scottish verdict of not proven on one charge of sexual assault with intent to rape.
Giving evidence, Salmond admitted with hindsight he wished he had been “more careful with people’s personal space”, while his defence lawyer, Gordon Jackson, described his behaviour as “inappropriate” and “touchy-feely” during cross-examination.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we have received a report of a non-recent sexual assault. The information is being assessed.”