Victim’s anger as sex abuser is spared jail term
‘It feels unfair he is free while I have to live a life sentence’
ACHILD sex abuse victim has spoken of her disgust after her attacker escaped jail.
RAF veteran Frank McInnes walked free from court after admitting abusing two young girls in the late 80s and early 90s.
The 84-year-old was given a two year prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Minshull Street Crown Court.
He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and a given a 10 year restraining order.
One his two victims, who we are not naming for legal reasons, told how the abuse she suffered has devastated her life.
She also spoke about finally seeing justice after McInnes, of Keepers Drive, Norden, appeared in the dock. She said: “Seeing the perpetrator in court showing no remorse was hurtful.
“I think the sentence he was given was very lenient. Age should not be a factor for someone who hasn’t shown remorse and has admitted his crime.
“People with this attitude to sexually abusing children will always have this mentality and will always pose a risk to children within society.
“It feels unfair he is free to continue his life walking around as though he is an innocent man.
“I will have to live a life sentence for what he subjected me to whilst he was only served a minimal non custodial sentence.”
The victim also spoke of the devastating effect the abuse has had on her life.
She said: “I’ve had to live with this trauma for 30 years.
“I was a young child when I was subjected to the sexual abuse. All of my life it’s haunted me and traumatised me.
“I feel very damaged in all aspects of my life and find it very difficult to trust people, especially men.
“I’ve suffered eating disorders and depression because the abuser made me feel awful about myself.
“I have attempted suicide in the past as I wanted my pain to end.
“I feel a lot of my life I’ve had to hide the truth as I didn’t feel strong enough to come forward with my trauma to anyone.
“Once I was married I did open up about what I suffered as a child.
“When we had our own children I became very protective of them and because of what I suffered I found it difficult to leave them alone with anyone.
“When my children started to approach the age I was when I was abused I started suffering stress.
“I went to counselling and it was finally out in the open to a professional person that I had been sexually abused as a child.
“Opening up brought all my trauma back and made the abuse feel very fresh again.
“I suffered again from the pain I had been subjected to having to speak in detail about the sexual abuse I had been subjected to.
“With support of professional counselling I was able to admit the truth to my family.”