Suicide of girl after her church organist stepfather is cleared of raping her
A FORMER private schoolgirl killed herself after her church organist stepfather was cleared of repeatedly raping her as a child.
Juliet Crew, 22, left a note which read: ‘I do not want to live in a world where there is no justice.’
The ‘outgoing and bubbly’ architecture student took her own life three years after she told a court Nigel Parkin, 60, had sexually abused her from the age of nine.
But he was found not guilty after the court heard she had mental health problems.
Her mother Judith, who divorced Mr Parkin after the trial, found her daughter’s body hanging in the hall of their home in Taunton, Somerset, in August last year, an inquest heard yesterday.
Taunton coroner’s court was told the young woman had begun self-harming and had taken two overdoses, while her weight had fallen to six-and-ahalf stone.
Her suicide note read: ‘The judicial system in this country, especially for victims of sexual offences, is disgusting.
‘There is no justice. It only confirmed that I cannot trust people. I do not want to live in a world where there is no justice.’
In a police interview played to Taunton Crown Court in the 2012 trial, Miss Crew claimed the attacks had driven her to self-harm.
She said: ‘I was just scared and so ashamed.’ Former community radio presenter Mr Parkin was cleared of two counts of indecent assault and eight counts of rape.
And while the jury could not reach a verdict on seven other charges, a retrial never took place. Miss Crew achieved top grades in her A-levels and began studying architecture at Nottingham University in 2011, the inquest heard.
However, her mother said she ‘lost her sparkle’ and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2014.
By 2015 she was taking antidepressants, sleeping pills and anti-psychotic drugs. She told the inquest: ‘She was astounded that Nigel Parkin was still at large among vulnerable people. She never recovered from this feeling of injustice.’
Miss Crew’s sister Fiona said she had seen her a week before she died and had been very concerned about her.
She told the inquest: ‘She said she was having flashbacks and was constantly experiencing the rapes she experienced. Mr Parkin was re-employed by the Church of England and this compounded her stress.’
Her father Alan told the hearing: ‘I’m left with a feeling of dreadful failure. Juliet was failed by the people she trusted and by the authorities.’ Miss Crew had been head girl at her middle school and won a scholarship to the prestigious public school Millfield, but left after one term aged 14.
The inquest heard she was a pupil at independent Queen’s College School in Taunton when she first made the allegations about Mr Parkin to headmaster Chris Alcock in 2010.
The headmaster, who quit earlier this year after he was caught downloading pornography on work computers, told the inquest Miss Crew had confided in him again after she dropped out of university and complained she was struggling to sleep.
He said: ‘All she could see was the face of her stepfather which haunted her. On a number of occasions she told me that she wanted to take her own life.’
Miss Crew’s family raised concerns at the inquest that the headmaster did not inform the relevant authorities.
Recording a verdict of suicide, Coroner Tony Williams said: ‘She had previously made attempts on her life that had been serious attempts. I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Juliet intended to take her own life.’
Speaking after the verdict, Miss Crew’s sister said: ‘Nothing can bring Juliet back. But she would really appreciate if everyone took a message from this about the importance of providing personalised care for sexual abuse survivors.’ ÷ For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116 123, visit a local branch or go to www.samaritans.org
‘There is no justice’