Woman receives apology from police after 39 years

A woman who was repeatedly raped by her paedophile father – who was jailed decades later for his heinous crimes – has finally received an apology from police who repeatedly dismissed her allegations for nearly 40 years.

Elliott Appleyard was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting Carol Higgins, of Penistone, in January 2019 at the age of 71 following a two-week trial at Leeds Crown Court.

He denied five counts of rape and ten counts of sexual assault that occurred between April 1982 and April 1985 – when Carol was between 12 and 15 years old – but was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

She escaped from her father’s clutches at the age of 15, but West Yorkshire Police did not bring charges against Appleyard, who formerly lived in Gilthwaites Crescent in Denby Dale, when she first complained about the abuse in 1984.

Carol went to the police again in 2005, 2012 and 2014. When she returned in 2015, officers decided to investigate after she wrote to Dee Collins – then Chief Constable of West Yorkshire – urging them to reopen the case following decades of mental health problems as a result of the abuse she suffered.

The mother of two has since been involved in a civil dispute with the police, accusing them of violating her human rights. The legal battle culminated in the police apologising for the “trauma” they caused and paying £15,000 in compensation, plus £90,000 in legal costs that had accumulated over several years.

Carol, who waived her right to anonymity, which is available to all victims of sexual abuse, after Appleyard’s conviction, told the Chronicle: “I first reported my father to the police in 1984 for raping me.

“I was 15, had to give a 17-page statement and undergo internal forensic testing.

“They made me jump up and down on blotting paper and I had internal bleeding.

“While I was still at the police station, an officer told me: ‘If this case goes to court, your name will be dragged through the mud and you will be portrayed as the biggest liar ever.’

“I lost count of the number of times the police accused me of lying, of not having enough evidence and of being unfair to the suspect.

“I was fighting a losing battle. I was confused and ashamed of what was happening, when I should be proud of having had the courage to report a very serious crime.

“The effects of the sexual, physical and psychological abuse were not limited to that time – they affected my entire adult life.

“I was once told that being raped by a father was like dropping an atomic bomb on the family and that it would be impossible to pick up the pieces.

“I didn’t just lose my father, I lost my whole family, along with my childhood, my innocence and my self-esteem.

“I had no choice but to live alone in a cold rented house in Penistone at the age of 16. I was scared and had no one to turn to.”

Carol, 55, called the apology “welcome” but “bittersweet.”

“The apology and agreement represent the culmination of years of struggle, from 1984 to the present day, and a fight that has never given up.

“This is the first time in 39 years that West Yorkshire Police have admitted that the crimes my father committed against me were not dealt with effectively and promptly.

“They say lessons have been learned from my case and I really hope that is the case.

“It recognises that their failure to investigate has forced me to continue fighting to bring a rapist to justice.

“This has re-triggered my trauma and exacerbated my suffering, caused me significant additional stress and unnecessarily delayed my recovery.

“If I had not had the persistence and strength to continue to report the abuse despite repeated refusal to investigate past child sexual abuse, then a serious sex offender would not have been brought to justice.

“The discussion of rape, especially rape by fathers, is avoided and is a taboo subject because it is an ugly or sensitive topic that people do not want to think about or accept.

“I am glad that their conclusions were recognized as wrong – hopefully my story will help others.

“My fight seems to be over, but as long as there are children in this world who are suffering, my fight will never be over.”

The letter of apology from West Yorkshire Police Chief John Robins acknowledged that the police had failed in their duty to protect a vulnerable person.

“I sincerely apologize for the way you have been treated over the past 39 years,” it said.

“It is acknowledged that your extremely serious and truthful allegations took too long to come to court, resulting in a delay in the prosecution of your abuser, and that this was not your fault.

“The destruction of the material from the 1984 investigation created a situation in which pressure had to be applied to achieve justice.

“In hindsight, it would have been appropriate for the police and the prosecution service to have re-opened the criminal file in 2005. The decision should have been taken to re-investigate the case and it is deeply regrettable that this was not done.

“You were a vulnerable and traumatised victim of serious sexual abuse. It is recognised that the failure to do so exacerbated your suffering and distress and it is recognised that you attempted to raise this but it was not addressed.

“Any victim of the crime you have been subjected to can expect that their case will be dealt with effectively and quickly and with as little re-traumatisation as possible.

“I deeply regret that you did not have to go through this experience. It is clear that your recovery from the trauma you endured was unnecessarily delayed by having to fight for so long to bring your tormentor to justice.

“Finally, I would like to reassure you that West Yorkshire Police have learned from the mistakes made in your case.”