Victim – ‘I hope he is able to make peace with what he did’

VICTIM Donna White said Stephen Keen has ‘always been a good dad’ and ‘hopes he can make peace with what he did’.

Agreeing to waive her right to anonymity, she told the Free Press after the hearing: “I was the one that brought the charges.

“I know that he deeply regrets it and that’s why he struggled with his alcoholism for so long. I just hope that he’s going to be able to make peace with what he did.

“He’s always been a good dad. I’ve had a good childhood and a good upbringing. I haven’t got horrible memories of childhood. We had nice holidays, we had nice Christmases. The reason I did this was because I wanted him to get help for his alcoholism.”

Ms White said her father was chairman of Rawtenstall Swimming Club for more than 12 years.

She said: “My dad has been a volunteer for swimming and worked really hard.

“He did it because he loved it. He gave everything he had to that club. He loved swimming and loved teaching.

“I didn’t want people to think he did it because it’s working with children. That’s not it was. We want to get it out there that it’s separate to what happened.”

Detective Constable Tony Roberts said: “I’m happy with the sentence and it reflects the seriousness of the offending. I’ve spoken to the swimming club. There’s been no complaints from them.”