A 44 year old woman has bravely spoken out to urge victims of sexual abuse to report it to police after a jury found her former babysitter guilty of molesting her over a seven year period in the 1980s.
The mother of two has made the plea after successfully seeing Walsoken man Paul Busby, 50, found guilty of four counts of sexual abuse in a trial at Cambridge Crown Court last month where jurors agreed 11 to one that he was guilty.
Busby, of Sleights Drive, was handed a jail sentence of 15 months suspended for two years for abusing her from the age of seven to 14.
Ann (not her real name) suffered at the hands of Busby, her step uncle, when he babysat for her and her brother when her mother went to work.
The nightmare began when he pretended that what he was doing was a game - but as time went on it became more serious.
She said: “He was clever, he tried to make it seem normal so that I didn’t question him. It gradually became more serious and in the end I learnt to not look at him, I looked away and blocked it out.
“It was like it was happening to somebody else.”
As time went on Busby made threats saying she must not tell anybody - ever - else he would hurt her.
“Even today, 30 years down the line, I have panics thinking he is behind me, I lock my doors thinking he is coming to get me.
“I have an injunction against him coming anywhere near me and feel safer now, but it is unbelievable to think how he got inside my head like that.”
The abuse she suffered at the hand of somebody she should have been able to trust has affected her whole life.
She said: “From a young age I learnt to block out my feelings, I struggled to hold down relationships or I would be possessive with people.
“I was aggressive, moody, turned to drink for support. These became ways of coping that became my normal.”
The abuse continued until she was 14 and he was about 21.
“My mum used to work long hours on the land in the day and bar work at night to bring up me and my brother.
“Everybody though he was so nice, but he was horrible, he ruined my life, nobody should have to go through this.
“I have spoken out because I want this to help those who are going through it or have been through it.
“I want to help others, yes it is hard going to court, there are dark days leading up to court, but I know I have done the right thing.
“Please report abuse, even if it happened years ago, don’t be scared,” she said. “The police were brilliant, from day one they believed me, they have been supportive, kind and understanding.
“I got emotional support from special rape counsellors who were fantastic, which has helped me.
“Don’t think your attacker is invincible, they are not. Yes they will lie, they will say you have made it up, they will manipulate others, it will make you angry, but please do something about it - you could just be stopping another child suffering.”
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