To strike again
Held captive by a coercive monster, raped and abused, the harrowing story of a vulnerable woman who has waived her anonymity to demand justice for other victims of domestic abuse
someone with Asperger’s, having been through what I had, it was completely unsuitable. I felt as though they were only paying lip service to the notion of victim support – a one-size-fits-all service, with no room to accommodate people with particular issues or sensitivities.
The police said they would keep me constantly updated on the progress of the investigation, but they didn’t, causing further worry.
Tibble was eventually charged with false imprisonment and 10 counts of rape. I was devastated.What about the coercive behaviour, attacking me with a knife, the many more rapes and sexual assaults? The police said they had to cram it into a few charges otherwise there would be too much to prosecute him with.
At the trial in November 2013, I was left waiting for hours with no information, only adding to my anxiety. On the third day the trial was halted because Tibble’s mother presented the letters I had written to him in prison to the court.
The prosecutor was concerned the jury would think that I loved him and was a willing partner in the relationship. I couldn’t believe it. Surely any juror would understand why I had to write those letters if given the proper context? It was all part of coercive control. It was like they were living in the Stone Age.
My view counted for nothing.The female prosecutor offered a deal. If Tibble pleaded guilty to false imprisonment, they would drop the other rape charges. The defence agreed. For them it was a huge result. I was devastated.
But when Judge Richard Twomlow finally addressed the man who had raped, abused and controlled my life for two years, he said: “You are a danger to all women.”
He sentenced Tibble to be detained indefinitely under the same Mental Health Act used with Moors murderer Ian Brady. The police said he would be off the streets for at least 20 years.
However in 2017, after only three years, I was told he was being released. Although exclusion zones are in place – restricting him from coming within a certain number of miles of my house – it was a massive shock to think he was now free to roam the streets. It was like a punch in the face. I am hugely sceptical about how much rehabilitation could be achieved in less than threeand-a-half years. I hope I am proved wrong, but I believe he still presents a danger to women.
Every day I live in fear that at some point he will exact his revenge on me for getting him locked up. In my opinion it is not a case of if he does it again, it is a case of
This is why I feel so strongly about telling my story. I could have remained anonymous. That is one right afforded to the victims of sexual crime.
I have waived that right in the hope that my story might carry greater impact. I want to show people what he did to me, what signs to look out for if a man behaves in a certain way.
ANOTHER reason I wanted my story to be told was to highlight the inadequacies of the criminal justice system when dealing with victims of sexual abuse. I can’t help but think back to that first interview with the police and the fact that it was cut short. It meant there were episodes that never got mentioned, things he could have been charged with. I have issues with how the police and prosecution handle sensitive witnesses. Great steps have been taken in recent years but so much more needs to be done.
I am not unique in being a victim of sexual and psychological abuse. According to Rape Crisis England and Wales, approximately 85,000 women and 12,000 men (aged 16 to 59) experience rape or sexual assault in England and Wales alone every year; that’s roughly 11 of the most serious sexual offences (experienced by adults alone) every hour. Only around 15 per cent of those who experience sexual violence report it to the police. Conviction rates for rape are far lower than they are for other crimes, with only 5.7 per cent of reported cases ending in a conviction. Changes to the bail system in 2017 have made it even harder for women to come forward. Statistics show that 90 per cent of rape victims know the perpetrator prior to the offence, and in the majority of cases there has often already been a long history of repeat behaviour.
Therefore it’s vital to keep the parties apart so the women aren’t intimidated. Women who are victims of sex crimes already feel vulnerable and scared.The system should be designed to protect them – not put them at more risk.
If the trend continues women will be discouraged from coming forward, and criminals like Tibble will get off scot-free.
I know only too well how hard it is to speak out, but only by doing so will our voices be heard.
DOMESTIC abuse victims will only get the help they need if support services have an annual injection of nearly £400million, a report warns today.
The Women’s Aid Federation of charities says an investment of £393million is required to protect women’s and children’s lives.
Government figures estimate that domestic abuse cost England and Wales a staggering £66billion in the year ending March 2017.
The figure includes costs involved with protecting people from abuse, the physical damage caused to people and property and the judicial repercussions of prosecuting and imprisoning perpetrators.
The Women’s Aid Domestic Abuse Report 2020 showed about 1.6 million women aged between 16 and 74 were victims of domestic abuse last year in England and Wales. Men made up 92 per cent of defendants in domestic abuse-related prosecutions. Domestic
CAMPAIGNER Rachel Williams was shot by her estranged husband in 2011, and her 16-year-old son was found hanged six weeks later.
Rachel, 47, says unless there is investment in services for survivors of domestic abuse, the cycle of problems they face will not end.
The help available to them has not improved in 30 years, she said.
Rachel, who this week will speak to the Met Police about her experiences, added: “Unless [the Government] invests in these services we will go around in a cycle.
“I interact with a lot of people on the grassroots level and they say nothing has changed.”