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Victim's Strength Leads to 20-Year Sentence for Abuser
29 Apr
Summary
- A man was jailed for 20 years for a prolonged campaign of sexual abuse.
- The victim bravely came forward multiple times over decades.
- Police acknowledged past failures but praised the victim's unwavering strength.
A 75-year-old man, John Erskine, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for a prolonged period of sexual abuse spanning seven years in the 1960s. He was found guilty of five counts of rape of a girl under 16 and two counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14 at Birmingham Crown Court.
Warwickshire Police stated that Erskine used violence when the victim resisted. The victim initially reported the abuse in the 1980s, but the force admitted that "like many survivors, [she] was let down." Changes in the justice system enabled prosecution when she reported the abuse again after hearing about another case.
Detectives praised the victim's "unwavering strength" and courage in coming forward, acknowledging that the justice system had failed her previously. They expressed hope that the sentence would bring her peace and encourage other survivors to seek justice.
