'I was raped by a childhood friend - I want others to know what he did'

A woman who was raped by a childhood friend is calling for the sex offenders register to be made public amid fears her rapist could deny his conviction.

Hayley Watkins, 24, has waived her anonymity to raise awareness about what she believes is a lack of transparency with the current system.

She also wants to share her experience to encourage other victims of rape to report their attacks.

Hayley was raped by 19-year-old Jordan Learmonth at his home in Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, in February 2020.

He was released from prison in February 2026 after serving three and half years for rape and assault. He will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

But his conviction at the High Court in Stirling was not reported in the media and there is little information about it available online.

Hayley believes other people should be aware of his history.

"You can't find it anywhere that he [Learmonth] has been convicted of a serious sexual crime and I think people should be able to know that,'' she said.

''People have to rely on rumours and gossip to get factual information and that just doesn't make sense to me.''

She added: ''It shouldn't be down to the media to have to cover all these court cases. There should just be a consistent database provided by the government."

Currently people can ask the police if someone is a registered child sex offender to ensure the safety of a child, under the sex offender community disclosure scheme.

But there is no similar scheme for adult sex offenders in Scotland.

Hayley had been friends with Learmonth since childhood and they regularly spent time in each other's company.

They were both 19 when he attacked her at his home.

''We went back to his house, carried on drinking, put the telly on and it was getting late so I just fell asleep,'' she said.

''Essentially I had woken up to him on top of me and at that moment I just knew I needed to get out.''

Hayley walked home and sent a text message to Learmonth, asking why he had raped her while she was sleeping.

''He just denied it, said that he wasn't near me and nothing happened," she said.

"That was later used in court because DNA evidence found that it had taken place - so it helped to get him convicted,'' she said.

Hayley visited her GP surgery the morning after the attack. She praised the support shown by the doctor and police officers who dealt with her case.

''My doctor was so supportive, he was patient with me and that positive experience then led me to tell my family and then go to the police station and tell the police," she said.

''I never felt like they didn't believe me, they were very professional but also patient and empathetic concerning the crime that took place and I never once felt judged,'' she added.

Learmonth was eventually convicted in August 2022, after the court case was delayed due to Covid restrictions.

''It was a really long day when the jury went out. It came back a unanimous decision that he was found guilty and it was an unbelievable relief,'' Watkins said.

But she said she felt mixed emotions when he was sentenced at the High Court in Stirling.

''Jordan was my friend. It was hard dealing with the betrayal of trust - that my friend could violate me in ways that he did. I still had that part of me that felt as if he was my friend.''

Hayley, who owns a business in Dumfries, would now like Scotland to adopt a searchable, open database for sex offenders, similar to a system used for identifying sex offenders in the US.

She has submitted a petition to the UK parliament calling for an improvement in public awareness and transparency around sexual offender risk in Scotland.

The petition states that ''while systems exist in Scotland to manage sexual offenders, public awareness of these systems is low, and information is often reactive rather than accessible".

''This leaves individuals and communities unsure of how to recognise risk or take steps to protect themselves," it adds.

She said she was keen to work with Scottish ministers to make changes to policies in Scotland.

The Scottish government said: "Public safety is paramount in the management of registered sex offenders to minimise potential risks and keep communities safe.

''Offenders are managed under robust multi agency public protection arrangements, with strict notification requirements and penalties of up to five years' imprisonment for breaches."

Hayley said she hoped her story would encourage others in a similar situation to report their attacks.

''I got in touch with Rape Crisis in Dumfries pretty much straight away because I knew I would need support," she said.

''They have people that are trained to support individuals that have been through a crime like this.

"I always had someone to call, someone to meet with and talk through any of my worries and it was just massive for my healing journey."

Hayley said that she was still traumatised by her attack, but determined to help make communities safer.

''I've learned that the effects of the crime never goes away. It is a thing I will constantly be battling, but I do remind myself that it does get easier.

''Life's good, life's bright, and no matter what has happened to me there's so much good in life and it really does get better','' she said.

BBC Scotland News contacted Learmonth but he did not respond.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line.