Sick teenager admits subjecting girl, 11, to year-long campaign of sexual abuse

A MEDICAL student who subjected an 11-year-old girl to a year-long campaign of sexual abuse has been spared jail.

Liam Griffin, 19, first targeted the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, when she was in primary seven. He then continually abused her at a property in East Kilbride.

The girl kept the abuse secret until an argument with her sister led her to reveal her torment at his hands.

The would-be doctor admitted what had been going on with the youngster and police were called.

The girl told police that she had been attacked repeatedly by Griffin since she was in primary school and that the last assault had taken place about a week-and-a-half

BY DAVID MEIKLE before she told her mum. She said she did not think anything was wrong at first but realised she was being abused after receiving sex education classes at school.

When interviewed by officers, Griffin said: “I was studying to be a doctor before I f ***** up big time.”

Griffin, of East Kilbride, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted sexually assaulting the girl between August 2018 and August last year.

He has been sentenced to three years of supervision and banned from contacting anyone underage.

Griffin will also be banned from being near schools or parks and will be under a tagging order for six months.

Matthew McGovern, defending, said: “He expresses a deep sense of regret and remorse and is perplexed by the motivation for his behaviour and recognises the impact this will have had on the victim.

“He aspired to study medicine but that career path will no longer be open to him.”

Sheriff Thomas Millar said: “Offences such as these would merit a custodial sentence.

“In your respect the report is unusual and you do not minimise your involvement and do not place any blame whatsoever on the other person and express remorse for your actions.

“If you were sent to custody you would be released within months with no assistance after.

“It would be more useful for you to be placed under a period of supervision.”

Griffin will also be on the sex offenders’ register for three years.