'I had no voice': Woman who helped convict rapist ex hopes to empower other survivors

A woman who helped convict her former partner of rape and sexual abuse has said she feels “empowered” after facing him in court.

John Houston was jailed for ten years at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday after being found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting two women over a three-year period.

The 39-year-old left the women feeling trapped and terrified, body-shamed them and monitored their use of social media during his reign of terror.

Andrea-Leigh testified against her abuser in court after years of feeling like she had “no voice” as a result of his controlling behaviour and manipulation.

Despite the experience being “humiliating and traumatic”, she hopes her bravery will encourage other women to come forward.

Andrea-Leigh Melrose and John Houston STV News

Speaking to STV News after waiving her right to anonymity, she explained: “It was a whirlwind of emotions. It was absolutely humiliating. However, the empowerment I actually got from it was almost cathartic.

“Those years that I was with him, I didn’t have a voice, and I felt isolated and alone. The whole process up to it was so stressful. It took such a long time for me, reporting it in 2023, to it now being 2026, and to have it like looming over you for so many years, that’s also quite debilitating.

“The flashbacks that you get still leave an effect to this day.”

In the midst of her abuse, Andrea-Leigh says her self-esteem was so low that she believed she deserved to be treated the way she was.

In sentencing, judge Matthew Jackson commended the women for showing “enormous courage and resolve” in reporting the crimes to police and giving evidence to ensure he was convicted.

“He had brought me down to be a shell of myself and made me feel like I had to be so dependent on him”, Andrea-Leigh explained.

“I didn’t even know who I was anymore. I had no self-esteem, and when I look back at that girl that I was, I feel so sorry for her because she just didn’t know. You’re so controlled and manipulated. You feel like you’re the one who’s in the wrong.

“I was made to feel like I was the one who did everything wrong; it was all my fault, and I had to walk around on eggshells.

“Because my self-esteem was so low, I felt I deserved it, and everything that happened to me was just normal.”

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Houston preyed on two women in Leven, Fife, between July 2020 and September 2023.

He subjected his first victim to various sexual assaults, including rape.

On various occasions between December 2022 and October 2023, Houston also raped a woman whilst she slept. He also repeatedly sexually assaulted her using a sex toy.

Houston, also of Leven, Fife, was convicted on rape, sexual assault and threatening behaviour charges at the end of a week-long trial in August. He had denied any wrongdoing and accused the women of conspiring against him.

Judge Matthew Jackson described how Houston belittled his victims, behaved in a deliberately controlling and terrifying manner, body shamed them, accused them of infidelity and monitored their use of social media.

He added: “Both of your victims tell us that during the relationship they lived on edge. They felt frightened, trapped, humiliated and as though they were never quite good enough.

“One victim describes how she was afraid of being shouted at, ridiculed, accused of something, cheated on, or drawn into an argument where somehow she would end up believing everything was her fault and begging for forgiveness.

“The victims of these behaviours – these crimes – are to be commended for ensuring that you have been brought to justice as a result of their courage in speaking out.”

Houston will now spend ten years behind bars.

Speaking on his sentencing, Andrea-Leigh added: “I don’t think I’ve been able to process it completely until the sentencing. I don’t know how long it’ll take for me to actually process it.

“The rate of men actually getting convicted for these things is so incredibly low, and I’m so grateful that the justice has been served not only for me but for the women before me and no women after me.

“It’s just unbelievable and amazing that he has actually been convicted for not only the charges against me, but unfortunately for another woman.

“It is very difficult to put into words because it’s the enormity of the situation. But I feel that it can only be described as sort of like a wildfire. It spreads so fast and invades your life so much, but the damage that it leaves behind is irreversible.”

Violence against women pledge

The conviction follows John Swinney’s pledge to tackle violence against women and girls.

The First Minister said the Scottish Government would seek to make progress on a previously scrapped misogyny Bill and to launch a multi-year public health campaign to challenge misogynistic attitudes in boys and young men.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay is to hold a roundtable at Holyrood aimed at tackling violence against women and girls.

Among those due to attend are Sean Hunter, whose sister Stacy Hunter, 35, was murdered in Renfrewshire by her husband, who was on bail after attacking her.

Findlay recently challenged Swinney at First Minister’s Questions over the SNP’s “deliberate and relentless” weakening of Scotland’s justice system and rising levels of violence against women and girls.

Findlay says that all politicians should “hear directly from those who have suffered from the devastating impact of violence against women.”

He added the SNP’s planned early release scheme for all long-term prisoners must be scrapped.

Commenting on Houston’s case, the judge added: “It is a matter of great sadness that all of those behaviours I have just described, and more, appear day and daily in these courts being committed by men such as yourself.”

Reflecting on her experience of bringing her abuser to justice, Andrea-Leigh has called for more support for women throughout the court process.

She added: “I don’t blame women for not coming forward. It’s so important to come forward, but things do need to change. I was treated like a bad person.

“I was treated like it was my fault, and it was horrific, and I wouldn’t wish that upon anybody, but sitting here now, would I go back and do it all again? I think I would, definitely would, because of how I feel now, I feel that justice, and I feel that I have done myself proud and hopefully other women proud.

“But I do think that there needs to be more support for women throughout the court process. As soon as I reported it, there was all that support there, and then nothing. When the court started proceedings, actually started to happen, I had support for like the two weeks before it, and now there’s hardly anything.

“I’m really thankful to (support charity) RASAC, who have been there, and they have a great advocacy team as well.

“I’m not a victim now. I have never been in my life. I would say that I am a survivor, so I’d never use that word victim but when you are the person that these horrible crimes have happened to, you are made to feel like you’re the criminal.”