Thrilled to share that my new book will be released on October 6, 2025.

Title: 

Lies, Death and the Sex Shop Alibi: A guide to surviving false accusations and fighting for the truth..

Synopsis:

On January 4th, 2013, Eleanor de Freitas accused Alexander Economou of rape. Just over a year later, she was dead. What followed was a media firestorm—outrage, speculation, and legal battles that stretched across both criminal and civil courts. When Economou spoke out to defend himself, he found himself charged with harassment, a shocking twist in an already volatile case.

Was Eleanor telling the truth? Or was there another story beneath the headlines? And if she had lied—why?

In this deeply personal and unflinching account, Alexander Economou takes readers inside the chaos of this high-profile criminal case. From his arrest to his accuser’s prosecution, from navigating defamation law to intense courtroom battles—including his own harassment trial, inquest hearings, and bankruptcy proceedings—he exposes the labyrinth of the British justice system.

But the legal battle was only part of the struggle. Activists and campaigners seized the case, distorting facts to serve their own agendas. Economou soon realised that those claiming to fight for justice weren’t always interested in the truth. With his reputation under relentless attack, he had to learn how to push back—not just in court, but against a movement determined to control the media narrative.

A gripping exploration of false allegations, police misconduct, and the power of ideological activism, this book is more than one man’s fight for justice. It is a survival guide for anyone caught in the crosshairs of a system where truth is often the first casualty.

A disturbing pattern: She accused her parents before targeting me.

For many years, Mr de Freitas has maintained that his daughter would "never lie" and has campaigned tirelessly for her "justice."

Even now, a decade later, he continues to assert that his daughter's allegation was true, while falsely insinuating that I raped her. These accusations are relentless and ongoing.

It’s important to note that it was Mr de Freitas who first approached the press and decided to make this a public matter. I only gave a single interview to defend myself, after receiving death threats on the back of his press campaign. Beyond that, I maintain this blog solely to counter his ongoing campaign of misinformation.

While Mr de Freitas has every right to advocate for greater awareness around mental health issues, it’s another matter entirely for him to falsely and repeatedly claim, that his daughter was raped. 

What Mr de Freitas has not shared with the press is that, in February 2012, nine months before accusing me, Eleanor falsely accused him of abuse in a report to the police.

This fact is substantiated by evidence from Eleanor's inquest, which includes medical records showing that she was 'sectioned' after making false reports of abuse against her parents and her landlord. See here:

What was the evidence in the Eleanor de Freitas false rape case?

1. "I had an amazing time with an amazing guy"

Eleanor alleged that she was raped on the night of December 23rd into the early hours of December 24th. But after parting ways with me around midday on December 24th, Eleanor went to work, where she told a colleague that she had an "amazing time with an amazing guy".

Read the witness statement here.

2. "I'm at his flat... and we've had huge fun together"

Eleanor alleged that she was raped on the night of December 23rd into the early hours of December 24th. However, at 9:11 AM on December 24th, she sent multiple messages to a friend stating she was still at my flat, that we were a good match, and had had "huge fun" together.

See the messages here (names redacted).

3. CCTV Footage: Shopping for Sex Toys Hours After the Alleged Rape

CCTV footage captured Eleanor and I, shopping at Ann Summers around 11 AM on December 24th 2012. The footage shows Eleanor purchasing sex toys, smiling, laughing, and even kissing me. This shopping trip occurred hours after she claimed the attack took place. (She would later tell police she was held "captive" and instructed to "put on a brave face").

Watch the CCTV footage on YouTube.

4. "We had a brief fling... he fucked and chucked me"

On December 25th 2012, (about 24hrs after our date ended), Eleanor messaged a friend expressing confusion and upset after I rejected her. She described how I was full of "adoration" when she woke up at my flat, but then later that evening at 7pm I told her not to contact me again. This rejection, and her subsequent reaction of being extremely upset, is believed to have motivated her false complaint.

Read the full message here (names redacted).

5. "Sorry for the trouble I have caused you"

On January 3rd, 2013, Eleanor emailed me, apologising for the trouble she had caused—seemingly referring to the false allegations she had made to our mutual friends during the previous 10 days. However, when I rejected her for the second time, she went to the police the next day, on 4th January 2013.

View the email here.

6. Additional Evidence

The case file contained 78 pages of witness statements and 360 pages of exhibits. While only key evidence is summarised here, other testimonies revealed Eleanor sought reconciliation after I rejected her. She also urged others to spread rumours that she had been raped, claiming she was locked in my flat until midday and instructing one person to "tell as many people as possible."

Evidence showed the manager of Ann Summers (a sex shop) also said she observed us together and noted we appeared to be a happy couple and relaxed, with no signs of Eleanor being "held captive" or "under duress" - directly contradicting her account. Other expert witnesses confirmed the reliability of the phone reports which showed text messages, and the cctv.

There was also 'bad character' evidence showing a history of dishonest behaviour, including theft and a prior false rape allegation against another man (for which she was not prosecuted). She had also made false police reports against her own parents in 2012, making at least two prior false allegations before her claims against me.

Despite this, she maintained her allegation against me for months, persistently emailing the police to push for my re-arrest and spreading her false claims among mutual friends. 

Overall, the evidence against her was overwhelming. These factors are why the CPS, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Attorney General, and the High Court have all ruled in my favour.

List of evidence (names redacted).

7. Eleanor's friends and family refused to provide evidence to the Police or CPS, in her defence.

It is worth mentioning that Eleanor presented no evidence in her defence. None from her family, friends, or any other source. The only materials introduced on her behalf were her videotaped interview. In other words, she had no evidence and no witnesses to support her claims. Not even her father made a statement to police to corroborate her allegations. (Although years later, he now makes various unsubstantiated and hearsay claims, this stands in stark contrast to his decision not to act as a defence witness in his daughter's case.)

The prosecution, on the other hand, built a robust case supported by a large body of evidence, including testimony from multiple witnesses, CCTV footage, text messages, emails, and more. This was not a simple "he said, she said" matter; it was her claims vs. 438 pages of documented evidence, CCTV, and a line-up of witnesses prepared to testify in court.