Today, Tuesday 14th February, a 74 year old man was sentenced at Coleraine Crown Court for a total of 21 charges of the following offences; rape, indecent assault, incitement to gross indecency and common assault.
He will serve 10 years in custody and 2 years on licence. He will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and will be subjected to Sexual Offences Prevention Order indefinitely.
The victim in this case released an emotive statement today, saying:
“This man took away my childhood and self-worth, leaving me with a life filled with emotional trauma. Today I feel relieved that justice has been served for me. I would encourage any victims of sexual abuse, living with the pain and suffering I've endured to come forward and report it to the police.
"I am thankful that my voice has finally been heard. The people who are responsible for the pain that victims have to endure throughout their lives, need to be held accountable.”
Detective Constable Ruth Phelan said:
“This was a very traumatic ordeal for the victim, who was a child at the time. I commend her for bravely coming forward to report to us. I hope that her strength and confidence in the Police to conduct a thorough investigation encourages other victims of child abuse who have felt silenced, to come forward too.
“We have a team of dedicated detectives who are determined to bring anyone involved in any form of child abuse before the courts to answer for their crimes, no matter when they occurred.
“I would continue to encourage anyone who has experienced any form of sexual abuse to contact police on 101, or in an emergency call 999. Once you’ve made a report, you don’t have to come into a police station, detectives can arrange to meet you at a time and place that best suits you.”