Defendant convicted of historic sexual abuse – Jacinta Stringer led Richard Sedgwick for the Crown

Jacinta Stringer led Richard Sedgwick in the prosecution of a defendant and his father.
They were charged with offences dating back to between 1978 and 1987 during which it was said the younger defendant had groomed and abused the victim, in a prolonged campaign of rape that took place over the course of years. The victim had first reported the offences to police in 1991 but no action was taken. The jury heard of the significant impact the offending had on the victim’s mental health and how she had told multiple agencies of her abuse over the years without recourse. She contacted the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) after it was set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, and finally a prosecution was brought.
There were convictions against the son for a campaign of dreadful sexual abuse and he was also convicted together with his father of conspiring to obtain an illegal abortion after his actions had caused the victim to fall pregnant.
Sentencing was adjourned to December 2024.