During the trial, Mr Anderson, 48, a father-of-four, questioned the girl for nearly three hours and her mother for 30 minutes.

It was not as if they were strangers to me

John Anderson, outside court

After the verdict, it emerged that 15 months ago, Mr Anderson walked free from the High Court in Paisley on three rape charges, where he also conducted his own defence and questioned two alleged victims.

The case then was deserted because of a lack of corroborative evidence.

There were shouts of "you've made the biggest mistake of your lives", "beast, beast", and "he's done this before", from the public benches.

Outside court, Mr Anderson said: "I didn't want to defend myself but I was denied access to counsel."

'Easier with counsel'

He said he believed the law should be changed, but that he had not felt bad about cross-examining the girl and her mother because he knew them well.

"It was not as if they were strangers to me, and I didn't go into any details of anything sexual or anything like that.

"I think if I had counsel or had access to counsel it would have been a lot easier all round."

The girl's father said: "My daughter has tried to commit suicide just a week ago and was brought to court from hospital.

Anderson's case sparked uproar

"She has told the truth from the start and I just don't know what effect this is going to have on her in the long term.

"I want to get the law changed so nobody else can get to question their victim like that. The law is an ass for letting him do that."

Mr Anderson, from Paisley, had denied raping the girl after overcoming her resistance with LSD and alcohol on various occasions between July 1999 and 17 January this year.

He also denied repeatedly raping the woman in Paisley on 5 January.

Mr Anderson is understood to have fallen out with his legal team shortly before this case was due to be called, and decided to represent himself to prevent the trial being delayed.

Political moves

Victim Support Scotland have called for a change in the law.

Group spokeswoman Alison Paterson said: "Going to court for the victim of a sexual crime is stressful enough having to relive the ordeal.

"Imagine having to relive that ordeal at the hands of the perpetrator - albeit the alleged perpetrator at that stage.

"No woman, no child should have to go through that ordeal face to face.

"It really means an already bad experience can become disastrous"

The Scottish Executive is urgently considering the possibility of changing the law to prevent rape accused from questioning their alleged victims.

Earlier this week, the Scottish Parliament's justice committee discussed options for reforming the law.

One way forward may be for individuals to mount their own defences but handing over to legal representatives for cross-examination of an alleged victim.