My husband confronted the beast who drugged and raped me as a teenager

CLAIRE Martin had a “wonderful life” with a loving husband, two beautiful children and a thriving business.

But the 43-year-old mother from Lancashire was haunted by a terrifying night in which she was raped in the kitchen of a nightclub by her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Martin Sweeney, 48.

Claire was just 17 years old at the time of the attack in 1988. Years later, she married 53-year-old Lee Martin and started a family.

But she could not forget her ordeal and suffered numerous nervous breakdowns – before her heroic husband Lee tracked down her rapist on Facebook and confronted him.

When Lee heard of Sweeney’s twisted lies and lack of remorse, he was able to convince his wife to report him, and after 26 years, she got justice.

Now Claire has bravely given up her anonymity to raise awareness of past cases of abuse and encourage women to come forward, no matter how long ago it happened.

Claire says: “That night cast a dark cloud over my marriage and family life for a long time.

“Now I can be the happy person I always wanted to be.

“I hope other mothers out there don’t have to suffer in silence for as long as I did. I feel so much better. And you can too.”

In 1998, when Claire was 17, she went clubbing in Blackpool with a friend.

In the club she happened to meet Sweeney, then 22, and his friend.

She says: “Martin used to date my older sister, so we were together years ago. He always felt like a kind of big brother.

“That night we drank and danced for hours. After closing time, our friend who owned the club told us we could have the after-party there.

“Martin handed me a tablet with a smooth brown coating. I was very intoxicated, thought it was ecstasy and swallowed it whole.

“I had never tried it before, but I was young and naive and just wanted to have fun.

“Immediately afterwards, Martin’s friend looked worried and asked him why he had given it to me.

“After that everything got weird and my vision blurred. Then Martin led me away from the group into the staff kitchen.

“I lost control of my body and was disoriented. Then he was on top of me and I kept saying no and trying to push him away.

“He ignored me, pushed me down and forced himself on me. I couldn’t scream or move my arms and I went limp.”

The next time Claire opened her eyes, she awoke confused in Sweeney’s house.

Scary flashbacks

She ran away from home and later that week her mother noticed bruises all over her thighs and arms.

Claire says: “I told her it was nothing and that the evening had gotten out of control.

“But suddenly I had flashbacks of Martin lying on top of me in the kitchen and of me saying no.

“I denied it and told myself it wasn’t rape. After that, over time, I did my best to suppress it.

“I was so drunk that I felt humiliated and guilty. I was afraid it was my fault and that I had allowed it to happen.”

After that, Claire was determined to move on with her life. She lost contact with Sweeney and never saw him again.

Years later, in 2003, at the age of 22, Claire met her husband Lee.

My blood boiled when I heard his lies

Claire on her rapist’s denials

Claire says: “I told Lee that Martin raped me and it broke his heart. He has always supported me.”

“Over the years we built a wonderful life. We started our own advertising agency and had two wonderful children, now aged 19 and 10. I had everything.

“But even as a wife and mother, that night when I was 17 still haunted me. The older I got, the more I hoped it would pass.

“Stories about sexual abuse on television triggered me. I even had nightmares in which Martin attacked me.

“I kept crying my tears to Lee.”

Then, in 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown, Claire’s mental health deteriorated even further.

mental breakdown

At 40, she began to addict herself to alcohol and cried uncontrollably to Lee most nights.

Claire says: “Lee was worried sick. Then one night I drank too much and had a nervous breakdown.

“He had had enough and said I had fought too long and he would find Martin.”

Lee scoured Facebook and tracked down Sweeney, who was in his mid-40s at the time.

As Claire burst into tears, Lee Martin immediately called on Facebook Messenger and turned on the speaker.

Claire says: “Lee said, ‘You raped my wife.’ Then I heard Martin screaming that he didn’t do it.

“Lee gave him my maiden name and told him in detail what had happened in the nightclub kitchen when I was 17.

“Martin said he never took me into the kitchen and that I was lying.

“My blood boiled when I heard his lies. I snatched the phone from Lee’s hand and screamed, ‘You raped me!’

“Martin started screaming and swearing. He even mentioned that he still had a photo of me that he had taken.

“Lee hung up as I became more and more desperate. When I heard that Martin had kept photos from that night, I felt sick.

“Even though I was feeling bad, I loved and appreciated Lee for confronting him for me.”

No mercy

Over the next year, Claire replayed the conversation over and over in her head, horrified by Sweeney’s twisted lies and lack of remorse.

Lee helped her find the strength to report Sweeney to the police in April 2021.

Claire says: “It took over my life and consumed me. I wanted to be the happy wife and mother my family deserved.

“Martin made disgusting denials and I was forced to appear in court in 2023.

“I refused to use a curtain and faced Martin. I looked him straight in the eyes as I told my story.

“And every time he caught my eye, he quickly looked away. For the first time in my life, I had power over him.

“Lee told the jury about the pain and heartache he had experienced as a husband for years.

“My mother talked about the bruises she saw in the days after the attack. Martin’s friend from back then was his witness and messed everything up.

“They all told contradictory stories that made no sense. Martin lied blatantly and claimed I had never set foot in the kitchen. He even showed the photos he had kept of us all partying together.

“It was extremely disturbing, but fortunately the jury did not believe a word he said.”

In March 2023, 48-year-old Martin Sweeney, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of raping Claire at Preston Crown Court.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison and had to sign the sex offenders register for life.

The worst places for sexual assault in the UK

In January, we revealed the places in the UK where people are most likely to become victims of sexual crime.

Cleveland is currently the “sexual crime capital of England” and has the highest number of crimes per 1,000 inhabitants.

The numbers are calculated to show the level of crime in relation to the number of people living there.

According to the latest figures from the ONS, there were 4.6 sexual crimes per 1,000 residents in Cleveland.

Greater Manchester takes second place with 4.1 reported sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants.

And close behind is West Yorkshire with 4 per capita.

Surrey is now the safest place in England and Wales when it comes to sexual crimes.

There are only two sexual crimes per 1,000 inhabitants each year.

Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Wiltshire were also among the safest areas in the country.

Claire says: “The judge told the courtroom how Martin drugged me before raping me.

“After 26 years, I finally got justice. It was an incredible feeling.”

“Ever since I had to relive everything through the court case, I still have some bad days.

“It has even affected my sex life because I feel provoked by small things again. But I plan to work through all of this in therapy.

“I know there are better days ahead and I came out the other end much stronger.

“For anyone who has been through what I have been through, it is not too late to share. If I can do it, you can too.”

“Please reach out to someone and get the help you need and the justice you deserve.”

How to get help

Women’s Aid advises victims and their families:

• Always keep your phone close by.
• Contact charities if you need help, such as Women’s Aid’s live chat helpline and services like SupportLine.
• If you are in danger, call 999.
• Familiarize yourself with the Silent Solution and report abuse without speaking into the phone, but instead dial “55”.
• Always carry some money with you, including change for a pay phone or bus ticket.
• If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to an area of ​​the house where the risk is lower – for example, where there is an exit and access to a telephone.
• Avoid the kitchen and garage, as knives or other weapons may be found there. Avoid rooms where you could be trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you could be locked in a closet or other small space.

If you are a victim of domestic abuse, you can call the SupportLine on 01708 765200 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6pm-8pm. The charity’s email support service is available weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].

Women’s Aid offers a live chat service which is available from 8am-6pm weekdays and 10am-6pm at weekends.

You can also call the 24-hour free national helpline for victims of domestic violence on 0808 2000 247.