Carol Higgins, a mother of two, took 35 years to secure justice against her father, Elliot Appleyard, who repeatedly raped her from ages 13 to 16 in the 1980s. He was finally convicted in 2019 and sentenced to 20 years at Leeds Crown Court. However, under Labour's early release scheme, she has been notified that he may be freed in September 2026 after serving only seven years.
Victim's reaction to early release letter
Carol told Metro: 'Reading that letter just overwhelmed me, I couldn't stop shaking. It has made me feel how he made me feel for years – completely worthless.' Appleyard had tried to convince her that incest was 'normal for dad and daughter to live as man and wife.' He owned shotguns and threatened to shoot her mother. In 2017, when the Crown Prosecution Service decided to prosecute, he launched a vicious verbal attack on Carol at a car boot sale.
Fear for safety
Carol expressed terror: 'He got right in my face and started shouting he will 'f***ing have me. He has nothing left to lose, what if he kills me when he gets out? My children are terrified, saying they are worried he will come over with guns.'
Government's early release scheme
The Government has faced pressure to exempt rapists and sex offenders from the early release scheme, which aims to free up prison space. The scheme includes prisoners convicted of manslaughter, rape, and other sex offences. Many released are expected to be under strict licence conditions, including electronic monitoring. But Carol argued this is insufficient, as many attacks occur in the abuser's home.
According to the Truth Project, an independent inquiry into sexual abuse, 47% of child sexual abuse was perpetrated by a family member, and 42% of assaults took place inside the family home.
Ministry of Justice response
The Ministry of Justice told Metro: 'This government is fixing the prison crisis it inherited – building 14,000 more prison places and reforming sentencing so we can always lock up dangerous criminals. Without this decisive action, prisons would have run out of space entirely, making it impossible for convicted offenders to be sent to prison and risking the complete breakdown of the criminal justice system, putting the public at untold risk.'
They added: 'Public safety and supporting victims is our top priority. Offenders who a judge has deemed the most dangerous are automatically blocked from early release, and prisoners who behave badly while behind bars face being locked up for longer. Anyone who is released faces tough rules such as restrictions on their movements, tagging, being banned from attending public events, pubs and clubs, backed by our record £700m investment into probation and 1,300 extra probation officers.'
