Ex-Scottish leader found not guilty of sexual assault

LONDON

Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond was found not guilty on Monday of multiple charges of sexual assault.

After a two-week trial, Salmond, 65, was found not guilty of 13 charges of attempted rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault on nine women.

He thanked his friends and family for their support, saying: "Whatever nightmare I've been in over the last two years it is nothing compared to the nightmare that every single one of us is currently living through. People are dying, many more are going to do so."

The women who accused him were all current or former members of the Scottish government or its ruling Scottish National Party. Many of the alleged offenses took place at Bute House, the first minister’s residence in Scotland's capital Edinburgh, between 2008 and 2014.

Scotland is one of the U.K.’s four constituent countries, and in addition to representation at the national Parliament in Westminster it also has a devolved administration in Edinburgh, led by the first minister.

The prosecution had said: “This is about a powerful man who abused his power to satisfy his sexual desires with impunity.”

Salmond’s defense said there were no direct witnesses to the alleged assaults, and that there were repeated contradictions in the evidence against him. They alleged that some of the charges were made up for political reasons.

Salmond is one of the U.K.’s highest-profile politicians, having been SNP leader from 1990-2000 and again in 2004-2014.

In that time, he helped lead the SNP, a left-wing nationalist party, to national prominence in Scotland, winning the 2007 elections and almost winning a 2014 independence referendum.

He then stepped down as leader and was succeeded by his deputy, current First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.