A rape victim has said Scots' outrage in the wake of David Goodwillie signing for Raith Rovers is four years too late.
The club signed the 32-year-old striker on Monday, sparking an angry public backlash.
Goodwillie was judged to be a rapist in a civil court in 2017, with he and former player David Robertson ordered to pay damages.
A number of club figures quit in the wake of the player's deadline day arrival from Clyde, and their entire women's team announced intention to break away from the Raith Rovers name.
Raith initially defended the signing, describing it as a "footballing decision".
But following mounting supporter anger and widespread condemnation - including from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - the club eventually said sorry, admitting they "got it wrong" and confirmed Goodwillie would not play for the club.
Denise Clair has spoken out for the first time since the signing in a bombshell interview with the Sunday Post.
Clair says the willingness of authorities to turn a blind eye as Goodwillie continued to play senior football with Clyde following civil action was "appalling".
The 30-year-old told the Sunday Post: "Of course people should be outraged and scandalised that a man like that was about to play for Raith Rovers, but he has never stopped playing.
"He was picked for Clyde four days after judges rejected his appeal and confirmed he raped me. That was four years ago and that's when people should have been outraged and scandalised.
"Or going even further back, they should have been outraged and scandalised when the prosecution was dropped 10 years ago for reasons which have never been properly explained to me.
"David Goodwillie has already shown he is shameless but everyone who helped him carry out his career without a word of remorse should feel ashamed today."
The widespread condemnation came last week when best-selling author Val McDermid, withdrew her sponsorship of Raith Rovers and expressed her dismay alongside Sturgeon and many other public figures.
But Clair said: "The First Minister was correct to condemn Raith Rovers last week but I don't remember her saying anything at all four years ago about why he was still playing for Clyde or why the case against him was dropped.
"I certainly do remember and still appreciate the very few politicians who did their best to raise it and being met with indifference.
"I'm glad Val McDermid spoke out last week but Goodwillie's continuing career was not some secret that has just been exposed. It should not have needed a celebrity endorsement for people to be revolted by it.
"I have to ask why it has taken so long for people to stand up and say all the things that are now being said? This is about more than him, it is about sexism and misogyny and woman being listened to and having their voices heard."
She added: "I'm content that people are interested now, saying the right things now. But it would have meant a lot more to me if they had done the right thing four years ago, 10 years ago."
Robertson left the sport after civil action but Goodwillie continued playing at senior level with Clyde despite the civil action branding him a rapist.
Raith Rovers finally apologised on Thursday after initially attempting to justify the signing.
In response, Clair said: "It simply encourages footballers to think they can behave as they like and there will be no consequences.
"They can rape or beat or abuse women and as long as they can score goals, they are exempt from the same rules everyone else in society lives by.
"It said to victims, you do not matter. Only footballer matters."
The paper also reports Goodwillie was discharged from bankruptcy days before signing for Raith without paying Clair a penny of the £100,000 court-ordered compensation.
Meanwhile, it is understood he is negotiating a pay-off of around £150,000 from the Fife club after the U-turn on his signing.
However Clair refused several offers to settle the case out of court and she says it's never been about the pay out.
She said: "At one point I was actually offered £115,000 to drop the case. It was never about money. It was about accountability.
"The failure of the criminal justice system to prosecute them meant the only thing I could do was take civil action to ensure the world saw them for what they were."
Clair says she cannot forgive the prosecutors who dropped the prosecution of Goodwillie without warning or explanation.
She added: "For months I'd been assured the case would go ahead, that the evidence was strong and that one of the country's top QCs would lead the prosecution.
"Then, out of the blue, I was told the charges were being dropped.
"Hours later, Goodwillie was being picked for Scotland, and days later was getting a £2.8 million transfer. Meanwhile, I was left broken, suicidal that a man who had raped me was being held up as a role model."
In response to Clair's comments on Sturgeon, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The First Minister has spoken on this issue last week and we don’t have anything further to add."
