A Scottish personal trainer who used a fitness dating app to lure a woman before subjecting her to a vicious rape in a Spanish car park has been jailed for 12 years. James Clacher's attack was described by judges as a clear case of violence and intimidation against a vulnerable victim.
A Predator on the Prowl
James Clacher, 25, from Airdrie, met his 20-year-old victim on the fitness social networking app, Heepsy. After exchanging messages, they agreed to meet for a date in the upmarket resort of Marbella on the Costa del Sol in October 2022.
What began as a seemingly normal evening took a sinister turn. The court heard how Clacher drove the young woman to a secluded underground car park. There, in a terrifying ordeal, he ignored her desperate pleas to stop and raped her.
The Aftermath and Investigation
The brave victim immediately reported the attack to the Policia Nacional. A swift investigation was launched, leading to Clacher's arrest. Forensic evidence and the victim's testimony formed a compelling case against him.
This week, a court in Malaga found Clacher guilty of sexual assault, the legal term for rape under Spanish law. In addition to his 12-year prison sentence, he has been handed a nine-year restraining order and must pay his victim €30,000 in compensation.
A Life Sentence for the Victim
In a powerful impact statement, the victim described how the brutal attack had shattered her life, saying she had been given a "life sentence" of trauma and fear. The court acknowledged the severe psychological damage inflicted, noting the attack involved violence and intimidation.
Clacher, who had been working in Spain, now faces over a decade behind bars in a foreign prison, his reputation and future destroyed by his predatory actions.
