Man jailed for raping child in the 1970s
A PENSIONER who sexually abused a child has been jailed decades later after his victim came forward.
Ian Scott, 74, raped his victim, who has lifelong anonymity, on two occasions and indecently assaulted her on four occasions in the 1970s while living in the Gwent area. He admitted kissing the victim and touching her breasts but denied anything else had happened.
But he was found guilty by a jury of rape and two further counts of indecent assault following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
During the trial the court heard Scott claim it was a “consensual relationship” and told his victim: “What do you think your parents would do if they knew what you had just done?”
At a sentencing hearing Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: “You took her innocence and childhood away and exposed her to an adult world she was ill-equipped to deal with at the time.
“She was alone and had noone to turn to. You took full advantage of that situation.
“You caused her to give evidence against you and made her relive what must have been distressing matters indeed.
“This is a dark secret the victim has had to live with for many years and had not seen the light of day. The time has come for you to countenance your actions and face the consequences of what you did all those years ago.”
A victim personal statement was read out by the victim via video link in which she detailed the effect Scott’s sexual abuse had upon her life.
She said: “Due to what happened to me as a child I lost my ability to develop at a natural rate. This made me feel isolated from my peers as I could not relate to them. The abuse interfered with my self-esteem and has caused problems for me while growing up and as an adult. Keeping a secret from my family made me feel isolated and lonely. The abuse I suffered caused depression from a young age and I self-medicated by way of alcohol abuse.”
Defence barrister Heath Edwards admitted what his client did “should never have happened” but he said Scott was a “different man” now.
He stressed Scott had lived an “impeccable” life apart from these offences, which he said happened “a long time ago”.
Scott, of Arthurstone Gardens, Meigle, Blair Gowrie, Perth and Kinross, was sentenced to a total of six years’ imprisonment.
MASS street demonstrations in Myanmar have entered a second week with neither protesters nor the military government showing any signs of backing off from confrontations.
Protesters in Yangon, the country’s biggest city, again congregated at the key Hleden crossroads and groups fanned out to other points, including the embassies of the US and China. They marched despite an order banning gatherings of five or more people. The US, especially after the announcement by President Joe Biden of sanctions against the military regime, is regarded as an ally in the protesters’ struggle. China is detested as an ally of the ruling generals, whose support is crucial to them keeping their grip on power.