Former Scotland Rugby Player Tim Visser Faces Trial on Rape Charges

Former Scotland rugby international Tim Visser is scheduled to go on trial facing allegations of controlling, abusing, and raping a woman over a 14-year period. The charges against the 39-year-old former winger involve alleged incidents that took place in Edinburgh, Surrey, and the Netherlands.

During a court hearing at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday, defense attorney Ian Duguid KC entered a formal plea of not guilty to the indictment. A trial date has been officially set for January 12, 2028, in Edinburgh.

Visser faces a total of 26 different claims concerning physical and sexual incidents, threats, and controlling behavior. Two of the four formal charges accuse him of rape on various occasions, including allegations of engaging in sexual activity after consent had been withdrawn. Additional charges accuse him of aggressive behavior, taking intimate images without consent, and sending one of those images to another individual.

Prosecutors allege that the former player isolated the victim from her friends and family, exhibited physical violence, and monitored her appearance, finances, clothing, and diet through unwanted calls and text messages. The prosecution's indictment also notes that evidence regarding other matters dating back to 2004 may be presented during the proceedings, though those are not formal charges at this time.

Born in the Netherlands, Visser began his rugby career after playing at the Amsterdam Sevens tournament, which led to him joining the Newcastle Falcons' academy as a teenager. After moving to England, he attended Barnard Castle School in Durham and represented England Schools at the under-18 level in 2005.

He later switched his international allegiance to Scotland, earning 33 caps between 2012 and 2017. Throughout his professional club career, Visser made 57 appearances for Newcastle and Harlequins, alongside stints with Edinburgh, before officially retiring from the sport in 2019.