Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
‘I’ve been taken to the brink of suicide’
Victim speaks out after paedophile is sentenced
The victim of a Coatbridge paedophile who was abused when she was just nine- years- old has branded him a “control freak” whose actions led her to the “brink of suicide”.
Darren Humphreys, 41, avoided jail at Airdrie Sheriff Court last week, despite pleading guilty to sexually abusing his victim in 1993.
The woman, now in her 30s, says she no longer has to “live in fear of bumping into him on the street at night” after the fatherof-10 was ordered to remain in his home between the hours of 7pm and 7am every night for the next 12 months.
Humphreys, who was 17- years- old at the time of the incident, molested his victim under her clothing before carrying out even more sickening assaults.
His actions, while in a “position of trust”, resulted in his victim going on to spend time in a psychiatric ward and led her to the “brink of suicide”.
She told the Advertiser: “Darren comes across as a very charming person but that’s part of his manipulative nature.
“He’ll be friendly to you, but it’s so he can try and influence you as he’s a control freak.
“I ended up in a psychiatric ward a few years ago because I saw him again and it brought back a lot of painful memories.
“It was while I was in there I told staff what had happened and they then contacted police.
“I wanted to speak out much earlier but I was just a child and it was my word against his.”
The woman admitted her ordeal had taken a toll on her and her loved ones.
She went on: “It’s been hell for my whole family, who now know everything that went on back then.
“I’ve been living in fear and even taken to the brink of suicide at times,”
The woman, who has children of her own, explained: “His sentencing wasn’t all about him being put in prison.
“I’m just happy he admitted responsibility and it’s taken the guilt away from me.
“Being tagged will ruin him because he hates being told what to do.
“If he was jailed he would be out fairly soon and it would be back to normal so this will punish him even more.
“I no longer have to live in fear of bumping into him if I’m out.
“I despise him and I’m scared of him, so I’m pleased someone listened to me and he’s been punished.”
The woman credited a local support group with giving her the strength and support to work through the trauma she’s experienced.
She added: “If it wasn’t for the Moira Anderson Foundation then I don’t think I’d be here.
“It does workshops which help our confidence and take away the shame we feel and have carried for years.
“The counselling and therapy groups with people who have gone through similar experiences are invaluable.”