Childhood Sexual Abuse – support for a historical case

What happened?

A woman who suffered childhood sexual abuse by a family member 40 years ago spoke out against her abuser who was then charged.

How Voice helped: 

Crimes that happened a long time ago can often come back in to our thoughts at a later date – which can often be painful and traumatising. At Voice we understand what you’re going through and are here to help not matter what happened, and no matter when.

Practical help:

After the case was referred to the Crown Court for trial, Voice contacted the victim to explain their role and the process. After chatting through the woman’s concerns it was agreed that the Witness Care worker would keep the victim updated throughout the process. This involved letting the lady and her family know about any court appearances so that they could attend if they chose to.

Once the trial date was set it was also arranged for the woman to make a pre-court visit so that when she appeared in court she was already familiar with the room and the proceedings.

Emotional support:

Voice spoke with the lady regularly in the run up to the trial to make sure she was coping with her thoughts and feelings and had a supportive person to talk to.

The result:

The defendant was found guilty on six counts of indecent assault and was sentenced to seven years in prison. The victim said she found Voice’s support invaluable and it had helped make a traumatic experience easier to cope with.