Abuse victim criticises judges (From Witney Gazette)

Abuse victim criticises judges

8:10am Monday 19th February 2007

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A WOMAN who was sexually abused as a child has hit out at Oxford judges for the "laughable" sentences they have given to paedophiles.

Jo Williams, of Thorney Leys, Witney, was responding to two cases in which child sex offenders walked free from Oxford Crown Court - one of whom was told to compensate his victim with money for a bicycle.

Mrs Williams, now 47, was sexually abused between the ages of 11 and 16 but only found the courage to tell friends and family and seek help last year.

She described the sentences of Eric Cole, who was given a nine-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay £250 compensation for sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl, and Steven Jeanne, who was given a three-year supervision order after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old, as "laughable".

The maximum sentence for rape or serious sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 is life imprisonment. For other sexual offences against a child under 13, the maximum sentence is 14 years in jail.

Mrs Williams said: "A lot of the emphasis seems to be on the abuser, not the victim, and these sentences are laughable. I don't know what planet the judges are on.

"For victims hoping for some sort of justice, knowing their abuser is free to attack again would help towards a downwards spiral.

"Abusers should go into a programme of help, but not a life of luxury. It should be jail conditions and they should never be released.

"In today's society I know that's not going to happen but they should at least have a minimum term of something like five years in jail - a few months is not enough."

Mrs Williams, whose abuser has died, is on anti-depressants and has counselling.

She said: "A lot of abusers are offered therapy and counselling to get their life back on track and of course they can walk out and do it again.

"The victim has got no help, they've got to pick up their lives themselves and if they haven't got a supportive family that could be very difficult."

She added: "I don't think paedophiles will change. If they can do it once I'm pretty sure they'll do it again.

"With my abuser, I thought it was only me it was happening to. But thinking back I'm more than certain I wasn't the only one."

Mrs Williams never felt truly safe from her abuser until she got married, 25 years ago, and described a huge sense of relief when he died.

She said: "The whole time there was still the fear that maybe something could still happen.

"From the very first day that something happens there's a part of you that won't ever be the same again. You lose that childlike innocence and trust in people."

While Mrs Williams is now happily married with two daughters, aged 15 and 12, she said the abuse affected her school work, caused her to drink heavily in her teens and gave her ongoing problems with intimacy.

She said: "You can feel very lonely. I know people from an online survivors' forum who self-harm and do drugs just to get through the day. Victims need to know there is help out there but you have to look for it.

"It's ruined enough of my past, it's not going to ruin my future as well."

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