Alex Salmond has been cleared of sexual assault allegations after Police Scotland concluded their investigation with no further action. The former First Minister and Alba party leader died of a heart attack in October last year while on a trip to North Macedonia.
Weeks after his death, a woman made a claim of non-recent sexual assault against him. Police Scotland initially confirmed receipt of the report in November, stating that information was being assessed. In an updated statement, the force said: “Following a report of a non-recent sexual assault, enquiries were carried out and no further action will be taken.”
Alba MSP Ash Regan welcomed the decision, saying: “Alex Salmond died with his reputation intact as a titan of Scottish politics. Alex can no longer defend himself, yet some remain determined to smear his name. It is time to let him rest, grant his wife Moira and his family the closure they deserve and draw a line so his legacy can be remembered with dignity.”
Salmond’s final years were marked by multiple sexual assault allegations. In 2020, he was acquitted at the High Court in Edinburgh of sexually assaulting nine women while First Minister. A jury found him not guilty on twelve charges, with one found not proven. In 2018, an SNP Government investigation into historical sexual harassment claims was quashed by a judge, who ruled it “unlawful”, “procedurally unfair”, and “tainted by apparent bias”. Salmond was planning to sue the government over the probe before his death.
Dr Nick McKerrell, Senior Lecturer in Law at Glasgow Caledonian University, noted that investigating alleged crimes involving deceased persons is not without precedent, though the absence of key participants presents difficulties. Regan added: “The exhaustive investigations, played out under the public spotlight, ended with his full vindication in Scotland’s highest courts, civilly and criminally.”
