Woman gets 'closure' as rapist jailed years later

A woman who was raped when she was a young girl said she finally had "closure" as her abuser was jailed almost three decades later.

Andrew Jeffrey raped and indecently abused the primary school-age girl in the 1990s shortly after serving a prison sentence for sexually abusing another child, Teesside Crown Court heard.

His victim said her life had been "significantly impacted".

Jeffrey, 63, from Middlesbrough, denied wrongdoing but was found guilty of five offences including indecent assault, indecency with a child and two counts of rape. He was jailed for 15 years with a further three years on extended licence.

Jeffrey was jailed in 1988 for two and half years for intercourse with a girl under 13 and indecent assault, prosecutors said.

Shortly after his release in the 1990s, he raped and abused another girl, the court heard.

Recorder David Gordon said the similarities between the two cases were "striking" and showed he had a "pattern of sexual offending" against young children and "predatory behaviour".

In a statement read to the court, the second victim said the abuse had "significantly impacted" her "in many ways", including her physical health, mental well-being, relationships and "overall quality of life".

She said she had been left with anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, adding: "I feel constantly overwhelmed and unable to cope with everyday life."

"Today is the day I finally get justice," the woman said adding she was "no longer the frightened little girl" she once was but was "someone who found the courage to stand up, speak out and tell the truth".

She said being heard and believed after "carrying this burden for so long" had brought a "great deal of comfort".

"While nothing can change the past, justice gives me closure and allows me to begin moving forward," the woman said.

"This is the day I close a chapter that has overshadowed so much of my life and start focusing on healing, finding peace and living the life I deserve," she added.

The judge said the"passage of time" did "not "diminish the seriousness" of Jeffrey's actions or the harm he had caused.

He said the consequences for the victim had been "devastating and lifelong".

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