Child sexual abuse: Mother reveals trauma of court delays after her ex-husband sexually abused her daughter
A mother has told of the trauma her young daughter experienced after waiting 18 months for her father to be convicted of child sexual abuse – as a report finds it is taking years for cases to be concluded.
Erin, not her real name, discovered her ex-husband had been sexually abusing her then seven-year-old daughter Ivy, a pseudonym, for at least four years in the spring of 2021.
He was eventually imprisoned for 17 years in September 2022 – but the year-and-a-half it took to get there left the family in limbo, looking over their shoulders as he was free to live his life.
Erin is speaking out for the first time, exclusively to Sky News, as a new report collating all the latest available child sexual abuse data is released.
The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA Centre) found in 2021/2022:
• It took an average of 614 days from a report of child sexual abuse to a court conclusion
• A 15% increase in recorded cases in England and Wales
• For the first time, police recorded more than 100,000 offences (103,055)
• Sexual assault referral centres, which offer medical and forensic help to victims, had initial contact with 8,213 children last year – a rise of 13% more than the previous year.
Survey data also suggests at least one in 10 children in England and Wales are sexually abused before the age of 16, so the majority of cases go unreported.
One reason could be the long delays in the justice system.
The things he’d asked her to do
Erin told Sky News: “When she told me, it just all tumbled out, everything, the things that he, they, had been doing together, sleeping with no pyjamas on, in the same bed, things he’d asked her to do, things he’d done to her, inappropriate touching and it all just came out in one big rush.”
The horrified mother immediately told the police and her ex-husband, Ivy’s father, was arrested – with officers then finding indecent child images of other children on his computer dating back 14 years, before the former couple had met.
Her daughter had to have a forensic medical exam at a rape centre that was done by a male doctor.
Erin said: “That was the hardest part of all of it, she looked so tiny, she had to take all of her clothes off and wrap herself under this adult-sized gown.
“The doctor, I’m sure he was lovely but he was very tall and had a very strong accent, she was frightened. She had to lay there and be examined in her privates, that was the worst part of it.”
Ivy’s father, who Erin said appeared to be a good dad and had a high-powered job, was released on bail after three months and then he had a restraining order so he could not come near the house or her school.
But, although Erin knew he had a new car, the police would not tell her what it was or where he was living. For a year-and-a-half – until he was prosecuted – she was constantly looking over her shoulder trying to protect Ivy.
They let someone dangerous to children roam around free
Detectives went quiet after the initial interviews and Erin said they did not return her calls when she had questions, which made her feel “like time was standing still”. She even made sure Ivy’s passport was not in the house in case he turned up.
He was free to live and work before he was charged – then at one point, he failed to turn up for a police interview and went on the run.
“To my mind, they let someone out there, dangerous to children, roam around with his freedom unchallenged for 18 months,” she said.
“They kept saying: ‘Well you should be grateful, that’s really quick, you should be grateful.'”
Eventually, Ivy’s father pleaded guilty and was jailed for 17 years.
Erin said she believes he pleaded guilty so his crimes were not revealed in court in front of his family. A trial would have prolonged the case even further.
Ian Dean, director of the Centre of Expertise for Child Sexual Abuse
‘Court delays are completely unacceptable’
Ian Dean, director of the CSA Centre, told Sky News: “It’s completely unacceptable that some children are waiting as long as two years to hear their case concluded in court.
“For any victim of sexual abuse that wait would be significant, for a child it’s enormous.
“I’m really concerned that delays of this magnitude will be putting people off.”
The CSA Centre is pushing for the government to carry out a regular prevalence survey to establish just how many children are being sexually abused as they believe the data available is just the tip of the iceberg.
It is also calling for more training for social workers as many do not have formal training to recognise when child sexual abuse may be taking place.
Ian Critchley, child protection lead for the National Police Chiefs Council, told Sky News the full impact of COVID lockdowns on child abuse is also a major concern and it “may take years to fully understand”.
He said police are investing in training and resources for those working in the field and are also trying to enhance their data collection so trends can be more easily understood.
He added: “The fight against child sexual abuse will never stop and these most recent figures reinforce that all of us in society must focus our efforts on these awful crimes, which can cause lifelong harm to children.”
Safeguarding minister Sarah Dines told Sky News: “Child sexual abuse is a horrific, devastating crime which targets the most vulnerable in our society and this government is determined to tackle it.
“I welcome this report produced by the Home Office-funded Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, which recognises improvements in identification and reporting.
“However, the prevalence of these heinous crimes is deeply concerning, and we will leave no stone unturned in pursuing offenders and keeping children safe.
“We are putting the needs of victims at the heart of this work, including investing £477m over three years to reduce court wait times for victims.”
Anyone with any concerns about the welfare of a child can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.
Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit childline.org.uk.
A workman saved a seven-year-old boy from a burning car in the aftermath of a deadly crash caused by a suicidal ex-pilot, an inquest has heard.
The schoolboy’s rescue came following the collision on the M6, which killed former RAF man Richard Woods and four others, in October last year.
Last week a coroner ruled that Woods, 40, took his own life by deliberately driving his Skoda the wrong way down the motorway while drunk and hitting a Toyota Yaris head-on.
The driver of the Toyota, Jaroslaw Rossa, 42, was also killed, along with his two sons, Filip, 15, and Dominic, seven, and his partner Jade McEnroe, 33.
Cockermouth Coroner’s Court heard on Thursday that Ms McEnroe’s son was also in the car but survived after workman Gavin Walsh came to his rescue at the scene, which was near Tebay services in Cumbria.
In a statement to the inquest, Mr Walsh said he was a passenger in a transit van travelling to Scotland when he witnessed the crash.
He jumped out of the vehicle and used a jack to smash the rear windscreen of the Toyota and pulled the boy out of the burning vehicle.
Mr Walsh said: “We really did try, I can assure everyone we did our best. We only had minimal time.
“I saved a life that day and I hope never to witness anything like that again.”
He added that he has never stopped thinking about the boy, and said: “I hope we will meet again one day and I will give you a massive hug.”
At the time, the family were returning to Glasgow from a trip to Legoland in Windsor, Berkshire.
The inquest heard that Wood, who was travelling at a speed of at least 65mph, would have been charged with manslaughter had he survived.
Recording conclusions of unlawful killing, Cumbria assistant coroner Margaret Taylor said: “I found that Jaroslaw, Jade, Filip and Dominic died as a consequence of the unlawful acts of another driver.”
The inquest heard how Mr Woods, from Cambridgeshire, had served a distinguished 14-year career in the RAF and was a flight instructor for BAE Systems at the time of his death.
Jade McEnroe. Pic: Cumbria Constabulary
Dominic and Filip. Pic: Cumbria Constabulary
In Ms Taylor’s record of inquest, Mr Woods was said to have been experiencing “a number of stressors in his life” and had a “history of harmful use of alcohol”.
Following the crash, he was found to be nearly four times over the legal drink-drive limit and a two-thirds empty bottle of gin was found in his car.
On the day of his death, concerns had been raised over his behaviour at a work conference near Preston in Lancashire.
Mr Woods failed to return to his seat after lunch and was later spotted driving erratically and swerving across three northbound carriageway lanes on the M6.
After pulling onto the hard shoulder, he then proceeded to U-turn and drove southward on lane three.
Filip, Dominic and Jaroslaw Rossa. Pic: Cumbria Constabulary
Detective Sergeant Deborah Story, from Cumbria Police, told the inquest that Mr Woods would have been prosecuted on four counts of manslaughter had he lived.
She said hypothetical charges of murder were considered by detectives but not thought appropriate because of a lack of information that Mr Woods knew the family or anything that provided a link between them.
Ms McEnroe’s parents, Marie McEnroe and George McNellis, told the coroner they thought it was “murder”.
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A statement from the mother of Filip and Dominic, and the ex-wife of Mr Rossa, Kamila, was read out at the inquest.
She said Mr Rossa, known as Jarek, was born in Poland where they became a couple and went on to have three boys.
He loved playing computer games and had “lots of friends”, she said, and worked at the Wagamama restaurant in Silverburn, Glasgow.
She said she was “devastated” over the deaths, adding: “Our lives will never be the same.
“I am heartbroken at the passing of my beloved angels Filip and Dominic.”
Marie McEnroe said her daughter, a spa therapist, had been in a relationship with Mr Rossa for about two-and-a-half years.
She said Jade had been a “brilliant mother” to her only child, was “really happy” with Mr Rossa and it was “lovely chaos” when all the boys were playing together.
Ms McEnroe added: “Life changed forever that day”.
Ms Taylor praised the “selfless acts of bravery” from those in the aftermath of the collision, including Mr Walsh, who she said went towards the burning car “without hesitation for his own safety”.
The coroner added: “Without his swift response, Jade’s child would also have perished.”
Addressing the bereaved family members, she said: “Your loss is unimaginable but you have conducted yourself with dignity and I thank you for that. I wish you strength for the future.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
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