Nicola Sturgeon has backed the "principled" decision of Val McDermid after the best-selling author ended her sponsorship of Raith Rovers.
The First Minister today paid tribute to the writer and Tyler Rattray, the captain of the Fife club's women's team, after they both spoke out against the signing of David Goodwillie.
Rovers have faced a storm of criticism after the club confirmed it had signed the former Scotland striker from Clyde.
Goodwillie and fellow footballer David Robertson were accused by Denise Clair in 2011 of raping her following a night out in West Lothian.
The Crown declined to prosecute so the mum-of-one - who waived her right to anonymity - launched a civil case against the duo.
In the first civil case of its kind in Scotland, a judge ruled the pair to be rapists and ordered them to pay £100,000 damages despite never facing a criminal trial.
Clair maintained she was incapable of giving free agreement to sex because of her alcohol consumption, but Goodwillie and Robertson claimed that intercourse had been consensual.
An appeal by the pair was dismissed in 2017.
McDermid - whose crime novels have sold millions of copies - has a long family association with Rovers.
She said: “I have this morning ended my lifelong support of Raith Rovers over their signing of the rapist David Goodwillie.
“I have cancelled next season’s shirt sponsorship over this disgusting and despicable move. This shatters any claim to be a community or family club.
“Goodwillie has never expressed a shred of remorse for the rape he committed. His presence at Starks Park is a stain on the club.
“I’ll be tearing up my season ticket too. This is a heartbreaker for me and many other fans, I know.”
In a tweet, the First Minister said: "The stances that Val McDermid and women’s team captain Tyler Rattray have taken are principled - though difficult for both of them.
"But the fact they’re in this position at all reminds us that our society still has a way to go to make zero tolerance of sexual violence a reality."
Goodwillie’a arrival has been described as “crucial to the club’s promotion push” by manager John McGlynn, calling him “the top goal scorer in Scotland”.
The captain of the club’s women’s team, Tyler Rattray, announced she was quitting playing for the team on Tuesday.
In a tweet, she said: “After 10 long years playing for Raith, it’s gutting I have given up now because they have signed someone like this and I want nothing to do with it!
“It was good being captain of Raith while it lasted.”
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