Scots lawyer fined over 'unacceptable' questioning in trial as rape survivor says penalty 'not severe enough'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A rape survivor has hit out at the 'lenient' penalty her attacker's lawyer is facing after a complaint she made against him was upheld.Lorenzo Alonzi was found to have "repeatedly crossed the line" when questioning Ellie Wilson during a trial at the High Court in Glasgow in 2022.Ellie, who waived her right to anonymity, said the consequences of Alonzi's actions were "not severe enough" after he was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay her £1,000 in compensation.

The 26-year-old has campaigned for greater transparency after her ex-boyfriend Daniel McFarlane was convicted of raping her twice between December 2017 and February 2018.

Following the trial, she lodged a formal complaint against McFarlane's defence lawyer with the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, after she was left "feeling traumatised, shamed, and humiliated".The Faculty of Advocates complaints committee found Alonzi 'crossed the line' despite numerous interruptions by the judge, and found that his behaviour amounted to unsatisfactory professional conduct on six of the 11 issues raised.The committee stated that Alonzi did not appear to accept any wrongdoing or offer an apology.

He was issued with a “severe written censure”.But Ellie said the lawyer seemed "more focused on his own reputation being damaged."Speaking after the ruling, she said: "I was devastated after all he subjected me to in court, but I knew he had to be held to account.