Without Amy’s knowledge, four people separately reported their concerns to police. Malcolm was arrested and released on bail after the first report, but evidence continued to mount and officers urged Amy to make her own statement.
“They were very explicit with me,” she said. “They said ‘if you don’t make a statement we’re going to find you in a ditch at the side of the road’.
“I remember that hitting me really, really hard because I’d never really had someone say something so candidly to me before. I was very aware that this was potentially a possibility at some point, if I continued.”
Amy, now aged 30, approached the to tell her story as she believes her family, friends and the police officers involved in her case ultimately saved her life.
In her case, she said, the system worked.
Police Scotland said that in cases where abuse survivors are reluctant to make reports, officers will look for a whole range of evidence that is not dependent upon the survivor.
This includes body-worn video, phone analysis, injury photographs, medical evidence and histories of previous incidents or evidence from previous partners. Such evidence can allow cases to proceed if there is a realistic chance of conviction.
A spokesperson for the force said the information Amy’s family and friends gave was “crucial” in painting a picture of Malcolm’s offending.
Following a trial involving 56 witnesses, Malcolm was convicted of crimes against four women in Lothian and Moray, including Amy, stretching as far back as 2008 when he was still a teenager.
He recently lodged an appeal against his 16-year sentence.