A convicted sex offender was allowed to return to live with his victim after being released from prison, where he resumed his campaign of abuse against her and her younger sisters. The frail old man, now in a wheelchair, was jailed for 21 years at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting 24 charges including attempted rape against the three girls, now grown women.
Darcie, not her real name, was just three years old when her stepfather was first convicted of sexually abusing her in the 1980s. Shockingly, upon his release the following year, he was permitted to return to the family home and continue his assaults. He also began abusing his own biological daughters.
In a haunting victim impact statement, Darcie said: 'Not even time can heal something as bad as this. This man took everything from me. The only thing he spared was my life, although I worried he'd take that from me because I talked too much.'
The court heard that the three sisters tried to protect themselves by placing teddy bears around their beds as a barrier. They also deliberately wet the bed hoping to deter him. But Judge Andrew Menary KC bluntly stated: 'None of it stopped you.'
When the paedophile tried to rape Darcie at age 11, she courageously resisted, telling herself that if he succeeded, she would have to kill herself. He responded by removing the youngest sister from her bed.
The middle sister, Becky, said: 'I never knew what it felt like to be loved, guided and protected by a father. Every part of who I am today has been shaped by what he did.'
The judge highlighted 'grave failures' by social services and police, noting that no action was taken despite numerous reports over the years. Cheshire East Council apologized for historic social work failures, and Cheshire Police acknowledged the victims were let down.
Detective Chief Superintendent Claire Jesson praised the victims' bravery and said the force has since improved its handling of sexual offence reports.
