This mail was sent to me by someone whose stepdaughter had also been brave enough to go to the police, go to court, and yet still did not see justice.
I am the stepfather of an 18 year old girl who was raped 7 months ago . Reading your (tiana's) story made me feel a little bit better, but she also was a victim of injustice!
He was someone she had known for a short while in her very first job . The circumstances leading up to the rape are immaterial just now but it happened and that's what matters! After we persuaded her to make a statement the 25 year old man was arrested and eventually given conditional bail and had to stay out of town.
Upon hearing of his arrest another girl from the same place of employment came forward and said he had raped her 8 months before my stepdaughter. She felt awful for not coming forward before as it might have prevented the second incident. He was also charged with attempted rape on her as well.
The CPS did take it on and the trial was last week 24th/26th May 1999 . The evidence against him was really strong for my stepdaughter not so strong for the other girl. We thought that we would be lucky and not her , but it turned out that he was found not guilty on both counts and is now free, living in the town.
Her fears are the same as yours, she will not go out unless someone is with her . After reading your story her only consolation is that she was able to tell her story in court unlike yourself . But after the verdict she is wondering now was it worth it?
Your story can confirm that it was! You will know exactly how she would have felt if it did not go to court . But all the same, where is the justice?
The feelings of our family are probably no different than your own family and friends, our lives have been changed too. The sad thing is that everyone we have spoken to, including the police, have said that he will do it again. What's even sadder is that we really hope he does which means another life will be turned upside down, or worse!
So the reason I said earlier that your story made feel a bit better was that I blame myself for putting her through this because it was me and her mum that persuaded her to go through with it! I know now that I would have felt a lot worse if we did not.
Please use this letter on your page if it helps. Take care
From Survive i hear many true stories of things people have experienced. One of the hardest things i find is that when people have managed to be heard in court, which is almost like being raped all over again, is that time after time the rapists don't get convicted. They walk away from the courts, free to attack again. It leaves the victim seriously doubting the UK Justice system.
Last updated 15th June 1999