A victim who was sexually assaulted and raped by twisted Paul Callanin has spoken out to give hope to others after he was found guilty of preying on three people.
Paul Callanin, who trained as an MMA fighter, used his brute strength to overpower Violet Fox during the violent attack.
Violet suffered a breakdown in the years that followed and was even driven to attempt suicide.
But now they have bravely spoken out in a bid to give hope to other sex attack victims after Callanin was convicted of raping three women in Alexandria, Balloch and Renton between 2005 and 2013.
The 35-year-old, from Bonhill, who has been a member of local bands Dancing with Dakota and Grey Caliber, pounced on Violet at a photography studio in Dumbarton before going on to rape them at a flat in Renton, in 2013.
He denied this rape and two others but after listening to evidence a jury at Glasgow High Court found him guilty. He will be sentenced next month.
Violet plucked up the courage to report him to police in 2020, after others came forward.
Speaking from their Renton home, Violet told of the hell they have endured over the past 10 years.
Recalling the attack, Violet, 33, who has waived their right to anonymity, said: “We were hanging out at my photography studio in Dumbarton. We’d been drinking and we used to hang out there all the time after work.
“We were pals and you should feel safe with your pals.
“He pinned me to the floor and sexually assaulted me twice. He then put me in a taxi and took me to his flat in Bonhill where he raped me.
“He was a fighter and into MMA. He was training for all that and I vividly remember struggling and shouting for him to stop when he was pinning me down and he was hurting me.
“I couldn’t get him off me. I remember him being so, so strong.
“I confronted him the following weekend. I tried talking to him. I went to one of his gigs to try and talk to him but he brushed me off and didn’t want to speak to me.”
Violet increasingly found it difficult to cope and would be confronted by what had happened to her every time they walked into the studio.
“To begin with I was in denial for a long time,” Violet explained.
“For ages I didn’t want to accept what happened was rape because the minute you accept it the minute you’ve got to deal with it.
“I questioned myself and doubted my own mind for such a long time. It was mental torture.
“I told my pals and they were like ‘that’s not consensual. This isn’t right’.
“I just felt sick every time I walked into my studio and be reminded of what he did in that room.
“I started to not be able to manage my work any more. I struggled to put a brave face on.
“Eventually I left the area as I felt sick to my stomach and couldn’t cope at all. I had a complete mental breakdown.
“I went to the peace camp and flung myself into campaigning there.”
In 2020, Violet became aware of others who Callanin had attacked and found the strength to open up with family and report him to police.
They continued: “Anonymous stories started to be submitted on Twitter and I submitted mine. That’s when I realised there were others affected.
“We had mutual friends but none of us knew each other before this.
“I went to the police and I just hoped other people would come forward.
“That’s when I also told my mum and my sister. At that point I had to tell my whole family. It’s broke my mum.
“The gossip and rumours across the area were horrible.
“I couldn’t even do my Asda shopping without being toldhe’d been in telling everybody that it had been dropped and wasn’t getting to court because I was a liar.
“He’s shown no remorse. He was given so many chances to plead guilty but he didn’t.”
The jury at Glasgow High Court found Callanin guilty of attacking his first victim at different addresses in Alexandria in 2005.
Jurors heard how he pushed the woman onto a bed, held her down and raped her.
A second woman was attacked in a car park in Desire Nightclub in Balloch on Christmas Day in 2011.
Callanin is said to have also bitten her during the incident and shoved her onto the ground.
He then raped her again, to her injury, that same day at a flat in Renton.
Violet was the third victim in the string of attacks.
Callanin had denied the accusations during a trial.
But the jury saw through his lies and convicted him of lewd and libidinous conduct against the first victim as well as a separate charge of raping her.
He was found guilty of two rape charges involving the second woman and convicted of sexual assault and raping Violet.
Violet, who formerly worked as a photographer for the Lennox Herald, described the impact it has had on their life.
Violet said: “I quit my job and moved away from the area and people asked me why I left so suddenly.
“I just couldn’t tell people and now I’m so glad I can hold my head up and say it was because of him.
“I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of and it’s taken me a long time to get to that.
“I was only in my early 20s. I built up and achieved so much and felt like I just lost it all. I was really ashamed for a long time.
“I’m not going to be silenced by anybody now. I have PTSD. I get nightmares and flashbacks. I took an overdose in autumn last year as I couldn’t cope with the thought of the trial.
“The thought of standing up in court got too much and I just thought ‘I can’t do this’.
“After sitting in that court room, I feel like I can take on the world. He’s sitting in a cell and can’t come near me.”
Violet gave evidence during the trial and told how the process was extremely tough, explaining: “The court process was horrible.
“I felt like I was on trial.
“When you’re being ripped apart publicly it’s hard.”
The jury delivered their verdict on Wednesday last week and Violet stayed at home waiting for the call.
“My mum, dad and sister were at the court when the verdict came in and I was sitting by the phone,” they said.
“It didn’t feel real. I couldn’t believe it. I was waiting for the dreaded ‘he’s got away with it’.
“My mum phoned me and she completely broke down on the phone.
“It feels like a massive weight has lifted.
“I’ve been waiting so long for this day and it’s finally here. I get a chance to finally live my life now.
“I’m allowed to move on and be happy again.
“I hope he is locked up for a long time because I feel like he is a danger to anybody around him.
“My heart goes out to all the other people who don’t get justice and don’t know how to cope.”
Violet now hopes to help other survivors and said: “By speaking out, I just hope it gives more people the strength to come forward and tell their stories.
“I have such a strong network of friends who are survivors and LGBT like myself.
“I feel like I can finally restart and rebuild my life.”
The Rape Crisis Scotland helpline can be reached at 08088 01 03 02.
