‘ HE HAS KILLED MY LIFE’
Victim’s distress as serial rapist is set for release
A woman raped by a serial sex attacker has spoken of how he “killed” her life as his release from prison looms.
She is a victim of Red House man Kevin Lakeman, who was jailed for life by Newcastle Crown Court in 1995 for three rapes and an attempted rape following a campaign of sickening assaults which began in 1981.
Eight other rape charges and four of attempted rapes, all of which Lakeman denied, were allowed to lie on file, while 10 other sex charges against him were dropped.
Lakeman, then 31 years old, of Ribble Road, had been caught thanks to DNA evidence, with a minimum of 12 years given before he could be considered for parole.
Now, 23 years later, the Parole Board has decided he can now be freed, with a number of his victims told he will be out this month to live in monitored accommodation.
One of those women whose cases were allowed to lie on file after the trial at Leeds Crown Court, has spoken of the devastating impact his attack has had on her life.
She says she endured a “day of hell” when CID officers turned up at her home to tell her this week he was due out.
She was heading into Sunderland city centre early one evening in 1985 when she was grabbed and pulled into Sunderland Civic Centre’s car park.
She had a knife held to her throat and told she would be killed if she screamed before she was raped in Mowbray Park.
The ordeal led her to attempt to take her life on a number of occasions, turning to alcohol and left her mistrusting men, while members of her family have also struggled to come to terms with what has happened to her.
“He has killed my life,” she said.
“This happened in 1985 and I was rebuilding my life in 1995 when I was crushed when it came to court and now here it is again.
“I was heartbroken when I was told the Parole Board had made its decision without talking to anyone who will be affected by that decision when he comes out.
“I would hope the board could 100% guarantee me that he would never come near me or touch anyone again, but how can they?
“I don’t think there’s any way he should be released.
“How can you change someone who is like that?
“I don’t feel like our voices are being heard, I think they’ve totally disregarded us. I know he got a life sentence but this is going to be with me until the day I die.”
“This is going to be with me until the day I die” VICTIM