ABUSE VICTIM: ‘He beat me if I tried to leave’

Sammy Woodhouse, 31, tells Closer about the appalling abuse she suffered at just 14 years old – and why it’s so important to speak out

Twisted Arshid Hussain was jailed for 35 years in 2016 for grooming and sexually abusing multiple underage girls in Rotherham – an area that, like Rochdale, suffered its own child exploitation scandal.

Sammy Woodhouse, now 31, was one of his victims and has bravely waived her anonymity to speak about the abuse she suffered. Now working as a public speaker and campaigner, the mum-of-two says: “I’m so glad the BBC will be covering the Rochdale scandal – it’s crucial to raise awareness. “I met Arshid when I was 14 at our local corner shop. He was 24, but my friend knew him. When he offered to take us for a drive in his flash car, I was impressed. He started regularly taking me out for drives and I began to fall for him. He’d shower me with gifts such as phones and clothes.

missing for days

“I started skipping school to hang around with Arshid and, a month later, we had sex. I felt so grown up with him.

“Soon, I started spending time with him at his house or in hotels. I’d go missing for days and my family were worried. They went to the police but, because I was consenting, there was nothing they could do. My parents didn’t know how to cope and a few months later I was put into care. They thought it would give me stricter boundaries.

“However, I carried on seeing Arshid – I thought he was my Prince Charming. But he changed and started becoming violent. He’d beat me if we had a disagreement or I tried to leave. I was scared, but I forgave him because he said he loved me.

“I fell pregnant at 15 and thought we’d all live happily ever after. But during my pregnancy, the beatings got worse. I tried to break up with him when I heard he was seeing other girls, but he drove me to a cliff and threatened to throw me off. I was terrified.

“While I was pregnant, Arshid was jailed for a violent attack. It was then that I reached out to my parents. I moved back home and started rebuilding my life. But when Arshid was released a few months later, he started terrorising my family. The police couldn’t do anything as they had no proof it was him.

behind bars

“As I grew up I began to realise what Arshid had done to me was wrong. I approached the media with my story and more cases were uncovered. The police investigated the case and Arshid, along with his brothers, Basharat and Bannaras, were convicted of abuse after 21 girls testified against them in court. It was a relief to know he was behind bars.

“I’m now trying to put the past behind me, and I’ve since had another child. But I’m single again as I want to focus on my recovery. I give talks to the police and social workers about grooming as it’s important to speak out and raise awareness.”

For advice, call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000