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Maxwell Shelbourne approached the woman in the early hours A young man who sexually assaulted and tried to rape a woman as she was walking home in Langley Mill has been jailed. Maxwell Shelbourne, approached the woman in the early hours of Sunday, January 16 as she was walking along Cromford Road. He stopped her and asked for a cigarette, then tried to hug and kiss her and despite her saying no, insisted he walked her home. He then tried to kiss her again, and despite the victim struggling, he sexually assaulted and tried to rape her. A court heard they continued to struggle, and the woman managed to run home. She reported what happened to her the following day and Shelbourne was identified following a public appeal. The 22-year-old was charged and remanded into custody after appearing at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court on in January. A trial took place at Derby Crown Court, and Shelbourne was jailed for five and a half years following sentencing on Friday, June 24. Shelbourne, formerly of Alfreton Road, Underwood, Nottinghamshire, will also be on the sex offender register for life. He is also the subject of an indefinite restraining order to prevent him from contacting the victim. Police praise victim's courage Detective Constable Danielle Lynch of Derbyshire Police's Public Protection Unit was the officer in charge of the case. She said: Firstly Id like to thank the strength of the victim showed in coming forward and reporting this horrendous crime against her. "She has shown incredible courage throughout the investigation and court process. We would also like to thank members of the public who supported this investigation by coming forward as part of our appeal as they really helped us to bring this man to justice. DC Lynch added: I hope this case will give others who have survived sexual offences the confidence to report incidents like these, knowing that we will listen and investigate professionally and sensitively. We are working with partners to ensure we are making Derbyshire a safe place for everyone and have specially trained officers who, alongside organisations including Derbyshire based SV2, support victims of sexual violence, and can provide advice and ongoing support.

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A Surrey sex attacker has been jailed for targeting children over a nine-year period. Stuart Menzies was found guilty of sexually abusing three children in Woking. The 58-year-old was charged with eight counts of non-recent sexual abuse against the children following an investigation from Surrey Police.

The probe into his behaviour began after the offending came to light in 2018. During a trial at Guildford Crown Court, Menzies' victims talked about the impact his crimes had on their lives. One victim said: Its been a long battle to overcome this and for the longest time I couldnt envision any future for myself, because I didnt think I would live past my twenties.

Its only within the last few years where my mental health has gotten better that Ive decided to do something with my life. If I hadnt experienced any of the things hed put me through I believe my life would have been much different.

Another victim added: "I am unable to build relationships, I treat new introductions with great caution, giving the impression I am closed and distant, so it appears I dont care, when really I feel lonely and without real friendship or support. My past has prevented me from gaining the contact with others. I have been conditioned to keep my emotions and thoughts to myself.

Even though there may be a small ray of light on the horizon to some future point, its still hard and difficult to see through the dark clouds of my childhood.

Menzies, of Walton Road in Woking, has now been brought to justice. He will serve 23 years behind bars.

Detective Constable Sharron Goodchild, of Surrey Police, said: Todays result is testament to the courage of the three victims who have shown formidable strength throughout this investigation.

Menzies selfish and abhorrent actions have had devastating consequences, but I hope that his imprisonment is a message to all perpetrators of child sexual abuse that we will do everything we can to hold you to account.

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A 'depraved' paedophile who sexually assaulted a child and was found with more than 20,000 indecent images on computer devices has been jailed. Ian Worthington, 51, from Staffordshire, was brought down after an interventional investigation was launched by authorities to uncover "cross-border activity", Stafford Crown Court heard.

Worthington uploaded child sexual abuse material onto the dark web, where he also spoke with other paedophiles. Crown prosecutor, Maria Brannan, said an IP address was discovered before British police attended the defendant's address.

His house was searched and officers seized a number of devices, including a phone and laptop, which were forensically examined, said the National Crime Agency (NCA). An iMac computer was found containing thousands of indecent images of children, said Ms Brannan.

Of the images found on the iMac, there were 425 of the most severe type, Category A, followed by 691 Category B images and 4,895 Category C images. Worthington admitted to using a piece of software called TOR, also known as The Onion Router, which allows people to communicate online anonymously.

Police later found two hard drives owned by Worthington which contained thousands of more indecent images of children, the court was told. Investigators traced some images, made by Worthington, to a device belonging to an Australian sex offender, who was jailed for 22 years in 2015, said the NCA.

The NCA said Worthington used a number of dark web hidden service forums in an effort to ensure his activity remained anonymous. Meanwhile, investigators recovered 20,500 indecent images, from Category A to C, from his devices.

The National Crime Agency said among these, were 135 Category B and 140 Category C images showing a child being sexually assaulted by Worthington. There was also evidence which suggested they had been distributed to other paedophiles online.

Sentencing Worthington, Her Honour Judge K Montgomery QC said: "These offences came to light through an international investigation, determined to uncover cross-border paedophilic activity." She said some images found in Worthington's possession were of the most "depraved and disturbing", involving the sexual assault of children.

The judge said chat logs showed Worthington had an "active involvement in a network of paedophiles." Defending Worthington, Mark Nicholls said his client described his behaviour "as an addiction".

In total, Worthington was caged for six years and eight months - extended by two years on license. He was also ordered to be put on the sex offender register indefinitely and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

NCA operations manager Hazel Stewart added: "Online abuse material cannot exist without the real-world exploitation of children. As this case shows, there is a clear link between offenders seeking out such material and committing sexual abuse themselves.

"We have wide-ranging capabilities to identify the most dangerous offenders who use the dark web in an attempt to remain anonymous. We will stop at nothing to ensure they face justice, and to protect children from exploitation."

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A former Metropolitan Police officer has avoided jail after admitting to sending sexual messages to a 15-year-old boy. PC Will Scott-Barrett, 33, was handed a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, at Isleworth Crown Court.

The court previously heard that he pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual communication with a child on or before February 3 last year. An earlier hearing was told he was in contact with the youngster using the Snapchat and Discord social media apps from April 2020.

Scott-Barrett, of Bromley, South East London, sent messages including graphic sexual pictures and videos to the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons. The officer was off-duty at the time of his offending, which is not said to have been connected with his role in the force. He has since resigned from his post.

A spokeswoman from the Metropolitan Police said a misconduct hearing found that if Scott-Barrett had not resigned he would have been dismissed. During sentencing, Judge Robin Johnson said: “This is undoubtedly a sad case. Sad for you, in that you lost your job and your good character, but also sad, troubling and worrying for the family (of the victim).

My sympathies are with the victim and his family rather than you. This kind of offending harms children, that is self-evident. The harm done to the victim is incalculable. You were previously of good character, you were a serving police officer at the time. I have accepted that you expressed genuine remorse and are taking steps to assess your offending.”

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A pervert claimed he accidentally ended up with child abuse images on his computer while downloading a Marvel film.

Police found dozens of indecent pictures and videos on Christopher Dyne's devices when they searched his home. But he claimed they got there by mistake while downloading the movie Thor. A jury rejected his account and found him guilty of making indecent images.

The software worker, who lost his job the day after being found guilty, has suffered in his local community after being named and shamed, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Police went to his home on Sedgemoor, Garth 16, Killingworth, North Tyneside, on the morning of August 3 2018 with a search warrant and seized various devices. Three hard drives contained indecent images of children and there was evidence he had searched for terms associated with those looking for child abuse material.

In total there were 85 of the most serious, category A images, 16 category B and seven category C. Elizabeth Muir, prosecuting, said: "He claimed any images must have appeared accidentally during the download of a film, Thor. He said he had accessed them and said he deleted them. He said he considered contacting police but didn't.

"The defendant's computer material had a number of films downloaded on them but in distinct files which would not be the case if he accidentally downloaded them with a film. There was no evidence of the film Thor having been downloaded at any time.

"He maintained that explanation at trial but it was rejected by the jury." Dyne also said he had cloned hard drives, which is why the images were on more than one but he couldn't explain why one of them had additional material on it.

The 40-year-old, who has no previous convictions, was found guilty of eight offences of making indecent images of children. He was sentenced to 18 months suspended for 18 months with 140 hours unpaid work. He must also sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

Tony Cornberg, defending, said: "A dozen or more people have submitted testimonials about what he is really like. He has always been a man of good character and in employment.

"The pre sentence report says he is still considered suitable for rehabilitative intervention despite him maintaining his innocence and there are no concerns from social services.

"Since his conviction he lost his job the next day and he has become, in his words, a financial burden on his mother and someone who feels worthless. The police displayed his conviction on their Facebook page shortly afterwards and it's caused him a great deal of shame. Being named and shamed is a form of punishment in society.

"He is utterly terrified and has genuinely suffered during the period since his conviction."

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A SEX offender released early from prison for good behaviour is back behind bars after breaching the terms of his parole. The precise reason for 60-year-old former Taunton DJ Christopher Reynolds's recall to prison has not been revealed. But he may now have to complete his six-year sentence imposed in April 2019 at Taunton Crown Court. He could only be released before his licence ends in March 2025 if agreed by the Parole Board. Reynolds, who committed the offences after grooming two girls aged 12 and 14 around 30 years ago, only admitted his guilt after putting them through the trauma of two trials. One of his victims this week told the County Gazette: "A leopard doesn't change its spots. "It's unknown why he's back in prison. It's possible he might have to complete the rest of his sentence in jail." Reynolds, who worked in clubs and on Apple FM radio and the former Taunton TV and was also known as Chris Young, was found guilty of seven indecent assaults and received three six-year terms in jail, three three-year stretches and one 12-month sentence, all concurrent. He must sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life and has a 20-year restraining order banning him from contacting his victims. During his trial, the 14-year-old victim said he "manipulated my mind and made me feel special and wanted". But her "dirty secret" made her feel "worthless". "I felt ashamed and disgusted," she said and since Reynolds' crimes have come to light she has cried every day. "The demons have come out but never left me," she said. His other victim met Reynolds at "a low point in my life" and viewed him as her "saviour" who "felt like my only friend, a father figure". She said: "I looked forward to him texting me and meeting up with me, but he was just grooming me for his own gains." She had recently established contact with her father, who had hardly previously figured in her life and was dying of cancer at the time. She added: "He robbed my teenage years and took away my only chance to have a short relationship with my dad." Reynolds' behaviour led to her self-harming, taking drugs and alcohol and considering suicide. The judge told Reynolds, who was married with children: "You no doubt regarded yourself as something of a local celebrity." The judge added: "You have an unhealthy interest in young girls."

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An investigation into a registered sex offender who repeatedly approached young girls online via social media has resulted in a man being put behind bars for four years and eight months.

Albert Jones, 55, of High Road in Byfleet, was found guilty of attempt to cause or incite a female under 16 to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Thursday (30 June).

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that, using a fake profile posing as a 17-year-old, Jones would contact 13-year-old girls via social media sites encouraging them to chat in a sexual nature. After a brief engagement, he would then close the account and then re-engage with the child using a different profile username.

Jones was arrested at his home address on 7 April. Most of the offences took place between August 2021 and January this year.

Investigating Officer Estelle Sharp, who led on the investigation, said: This was a complex case that involved both us and officers from the Metropolitan Police.

I hope that this case demonstrates that we will catch prolific sex offenders who target children online and will do everything we can to investigate reports, support victims and pursue perpetrators.

If you are thinking of reporting sexual abuse, please be reassured that your report will be taken incredibly seriously, and that we have specialist support in place to help you.

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A judge has jailed a Keighley man for 12 years for rape offences committed against a vulnerable teenage girl who was groomed and plied with alcohol by a number of men more than a decade ago.

Usman Sultan, 30, became the latest defendant to be jailed following two trials at Bradford Crown Court, but the court heard on Friday (July 1) that he was still protesting his innocence. Barrister John Batchelor, for Sultan, said his client maintained that he had been wrongly identified as the perpetrator of these very serious offences.

But last year Sultan, of Lawkholme Lane, Keighley, was found guilty by a jury of three charges of rape committed against the complainant, who must not be identified for legal reasons, when he was aged 16 or 17. Judge Andrew Hatton, who had already jailed other defendants in the case, described how some of the rape offences were committed against the complainant while other men laughed or gave encouragement to Sultan.

He said the complainant had been an extremely troubled and tormented young woman and her victim impact statement made harrowing reading. Seven other men have already received jail terms totalling nearly 80 years for their abuse of the same complainant and Judge Hatton said the teenager was regularly plied with alcohol.

The judge said she had suffered severe psychological harm as a result of the offending which included elements of degradation and humiliation. Because of Sultans age at the time of the offending Judge Hatton reduced what would have been a 15-year jail term to 12 years and he said Sultan would have to serve at least eight years before being considered for release.

Sultan will now have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life. In March Amjad Hussain, 35, of Keighley, who was convicted of three counts of rape, was jailed for 12 years. And in February six other men received jail sentences totalling 66 years.

They were:

- Nazir Khan, 30, of Keighley, has been jailed for 12 years after being convicted of two counts of rape and an extended 8-year licence period for each count. He is already on the sex offenders register

- Kamran Hussain, 29, of Keighley has been jailed for five years after being convicted of rape and ordered to register on the sex offenders list for life

- Omar Safdar, 30, of Oldham, has been jailed for 12 years after being convicted of three counts of rape.

- Imran Sabir, 42, of Keighley has been jailed for 12 years after being convicted of two counts of rape.

- Hassan Basharat, 32, of Keighley has been jailed for 12 years after being convicted of three counts of rape.

- Barber Hussain, 36, of Bradford has been jailed for 13 years after being convicted of seven counts of rape.

All the charges relate to offending which happened around Keighley between 2008 and 2009 against one victim who was a child at the time. She came forward to police as an adult and reported the abuse she had suffered which led to an investigation being launched.

Speaking after the sentencing in February, the victim at the centre of the investigation said: "The driving force for me to keep going through all of this was so that it prevents it from happening to other people, and also it might help other people come forward."

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Weekes, of Bradford District Police said: "We welcome the sentences that have been handed down to these men. Cases such as these are incredibly sensitive and complex and it often takes years of painstaking investigation to bring them before the courts.

"I would like to take this opportunity to praise the victim for coming forward and reporting these offences to the police, for her patience whilst the criminal investigation has been ongoing and her courage in giving evidence in court. The abuse she endured robbed her of her childhood and I hope seeing all of these men sent to prison today for these horrendous offences she was subjected to will allow her to start to look forward to the future.

"If anyone has suffered abuse, or has concerns about someone who may be suffering abuse, I would urge them to come forward and speak to the police. We will listen to you and investigate all offences and also ensure you have access to any help or support you need.

"I hope this sends a clear message that, regardless of how long ago these offences may have happened, we will pursue every avenue to get justice."

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Officers have charged a man under new legislation which was introduced last month to protect victims of domestic abuse. Benjamin Flatters, aged 31, of Dorchester Road, Spalding was charged with non-fatal strangulation following an alleged assault, reported on June 23. Flatters appeared at Lincoln Magistrates Court on July 1 where he pleaded not guilty to the strangulation charge. Flatters pleaded guilty to three other charges of criminal damage to property, threats to damage property and failure to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders register. He was remanded into custody and will face trial for the strangulation charge at a later date. The charge of non-fatal strangulation comes as a result of the creation of a new offence under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 which was introduced nationally on June 7 2022. Crucially, the new offence carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment. Victims of strangulation may be left with little or no physical marks meaning previously, a charge of actual bodily harm or common assault may have been applied, which did not reflect the serious nature of the act. DI Richard Nethercott said: The new legislation is potentially life changing and lifesaving. If found guilty of non-fatal strangulation, a perpetrator will face up to five years in prison. Along with non-fatal suffocation, its a form of abuse that we sadly sometimes see in a domestic setting, where a perpetrator will use it to intimidate and control their victim. Its terrifying to endure and incredibly dangerous. We are committed to using our powers to tackle abuse, including non-fatal strangulation and non-fatal suffocation. The new legislation is an important step forwards in tackling violence against women and girls.

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A woman has spoken of the devastation of being sexually assaulted in her own home when her attacker forced his way in. The victim was forced to the floor and Jamie Liddle carried out a serious sexual attack on her while her children were sleeping upstairs in their home. Teesside Crown Court heard how the defendant locked the door and threw the key across the room as soon as he managed to get into the house and he grabbed her mobile phone when she attempted to record his attack. Following the sexual assault, the 30-year-old attempted to go upstairs in the property but the victim managed to get him out of the house, find her keys and lock her attacker outside. Paul Abrahams, prosecuting, said the defendant realised the enormity of what he had done when he bumped into someone he knew as he left the scene and said I have f***ed up. I am going to jail. He added: She didnt know how long it (the sexual assault) lasted but it was about five minutes. She said she was quiet because she didnt want to wake the kids up and he just kept going. In a victim impact statement, the woman said she had been left devastated by the sexual assault on her in her own home. She added: He has made me feel like I cant go on; he has made me feel like I dont want to be here. Liddle, of Eastbourne Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to assault by penetration following the events in the early hours of September 19 last year. Ian West, in mitigation, urged the judge to issue a suspended sentence for his client after he expressed remorse for his actions and was of previous good character. He knows that he has messed up due to a drunken few minutes of stupidity which he immediately regretted, he said. He cant explain why he did what he did in those mad few minutes whilst in drink. Judge Timothy Stead told the defendant he would be failing in his public duty if he didnt immediately lock him up. The offence was committed in circumstances where you made a forced entry into her home and some violence had been used, he said. Liddle was jailed for three years and four months for the attack.

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A "predatory sex offender" who used social media to groom and abuse three teenage girls has been jailed. Reece Greenall, 24, befriended his victims online before subjecting them to "horrific" sexual assaults, South Yorkshire Police said. He was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court after being found guilty of eight offences, including one count of rape. Greenall, of Dyke Vale Avenue, Sheffield, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Police said Greenall knew all three of his victims were under 16 but "persisted in his pursuit of them". Det Con Richard Blakey said: "Greenall has demonstrated that he is a predatory sexual offender, approaching girls who he knew were underage on social media and pestering them with requests to meet. "The guilty verdicts and jail term will never undo the damage he has caused his victims, but I hope they feel they can focus on the future and their recovery from the abuse they have suffered." The sentencing hearing was held on 24 June, but police have only just released details.

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A "brazen" sex offender has been found guilty of spiking two men with an "aphrodisiac" drug before raping one and sexually assaulting the other. Luiz Da Silva Neto, 36, drugged the men in separate events at a cottage in Middle Barton, Oxfordshire, last November and December. Oxford Crown Court heard both victims woke up there naked unaware of what had happened to them. Da Silva Neto, of Wandsworth, London, will be sentenced next Thursday. Prosecutor Matthew Walsh said Da Silva Neto laced drinks with drug GHB or GHL, which he accepted using himself recreationally, or another similar substance. Mr Walsh previously described them as an "aphrodisiac", which can have "euphoric and hallucinogenic effects". Both are colourless, odourless and dissolve into liquids. They are absorbed by the body quickly and difficult to detect. The first victim drank alcohol with Da Silva Neto at the property after travelling to do work there with him but "began to feel suddenly tired". He fell asleep fully-clothed but awoke to find he was naked and his body "wouldn't work...as if he was paralysed" as he was sexually assaulted. The next morning, he felt "broken in two" but on leaving saw an empty syringe and was "convinced he had been drugged". Da Silva Neto was found by a jury to have administered a substance to stupefy the man to allow sexual activity and to have caused the man to engage in sexual activity without his consent. The second victim had been at a London nightclub and married for a few weeks before Da Silva Neto drove him to Oxfordshire in a hire car. He awoke naked "in a strange house" at about 10:00 the next day with "no idea what had gone on", before returning home to London "confused, distressed and upset". He had been reported missing and "couldn't account for the hours between leaving the bar and waking up in the bed". Da Silva Neto was found to have raped him, administered a substance to stupefy to allow sexual activity in the cottage and caused him to engage in sexual activity without his consent. He was cleared of kidnapping him, kidnapping him with the intent of committing a sexual offence outside the nightclub and administering a substance to stupefy him to allow sexual activity in the hire car from London to Oxfordshire. Da Silva Neto claimed all sexual contact he had with the men at the rental cottage, owned by his partner, was consensual and that he had never drugged anyone. The first victim said he had been diagnosed with PTSD and he has been seeing a counsellor and psychologist since the attack. He said: "This is the worst experience I've ever survived or lived through. I'm heterosexual, I'm Catholic, and it's something I need to digest." He said Da Silva Neto was a "danger to society he should be in prison, that's where he belongs. You can't ruin someone's life." Following the verdict, Det Insp James Holden-White of Thames Valley Police, said: "In his police interviews he was really brazen. "He comes across as very footloose and fancy free, and he's given us an account along the lines that all of this was entirely consensual."

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A man has been found guilty of raping a woman, beating her and forcing her into prostitution for his own gain. Nathan Husband denied all five charges for which he stood trial this week at Truro Crown Court.

Today (Friday, July 1) a jury threw out his claim that he was not, in his words, "a sadistic rapist who prostitutes someone for a drug habit I don't have", and found him guilty of all counts. He will be sentenced in August and has been told to prepare for jail time.

Earlier in the trial this week, prosecution counsel Rachel Drake told the jury how Husband, 32, had coerced the female victim into selling herself into prostitution for his own gain, raped her and repeatedly attacked and controlled her. The jury were told that he used the proceedings from the prostitution to feed his drug habits.

Ms Drake said: Nathan Husband controlled her in a number of ways. Mr Husband told her where to sit and if she moved without permission hed assault her. The defendant made her sit in a cupboard for over an hour and a half while he was doing a drugs transaction and then smoking drugs.

As well as this, an account from the victim mentioned several incidents where Husband had physically assaulted her to the point where she thought she might die. Husband conceded there had been an incident where some "pushing" and "shoving" occurred, but categorically denied forced prostitution, rape, and the assaults themselves - claiming the victim had struck him first.

While evidence was summarised by judge Anna Richardson, Husband could be seen in the dock, smirking, tutting and shaking his head at the specifics of the case. The jury deliberated for just short of two hours. They unanimously found Husband guilty on all counts.

The defendant remains on remand until August 30, when he will be sentenced by judge Richardson. If Husband is handed an immediate prison sentence, as is expected, it will not be the first time the serial menace and woman beater has spent behind bars.

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A man who repeatedly raped a woman over a 20-year period has been jailed. Glenn Pearson, 59, was sentenced to 16 years in prison at Peterborough Crown Court today (June 29).

Pearson, who lived in Fenland at the time of the offences, began sexually abusing the woman in the early 1990s. His crimes only came to light when the victim spoke about the abuse in 2018.

After his arrest, Pearson denied all the offences in interview. At trial last month, he was found guilty of two counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, attempted rape, and buggery.

Pearson, who is now of Bideford in Devon, was sentenced to sixteen years in prison. He was also handed a lifelong restraining order against the victim.

DC Joe Passby said: Pearsons offences have had a huge impact on the victim, who was very brave in coming forwards and confiding in officers about the horrific abuse she had suffered. She stood firm despite unprecedented delays due to Covid and now the case has concluded can start her recovery from the trauma she was subjected to.

For support and more information on rape and serious sexual offences, visit the forces dedicated web page.