Kidderminster rapist sentence decision 'disgusting' says victim

The mum, who was raped as a child, says she is disgusted that an appeal to increase her attacker’s time behind bars has been withdrawn.

The 30-year-old victim, from Worcestershire, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sexually abused when she was six years old in 1998 and 1999.

Her abuser, Craig Watson, of Walter Nash Road, Kidderminster, was convicted of rape and indecent assault and sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment in May this year.

He will also be added to the sex offenders’ register for life.

The 39-year-old defendant, who was aged between 14 and 15 at the time of the offences, pleaded not guilty.

The victim said she gave a statement to the police back in 2020 regarding the abuse.

She told The Shuttle she believes Watson's sentence is too lenient and wants to see it increased.

Reacting to the sentence, she said: "I was really really angry. It just wasn't justified.

"I think it's disgusting. I have been dealing with this my whole life".

The attorney general previously referred the case to The Court of Appeal with a view of the sentence being unduly lenient and looking for it to be increased.

However, the court confirmed that the application has now been withdrawn.

The Royal Courts of Justice in London (Image: PA)

The mum said she feels let down by the judicial process and described it as a "major kick in the teeth".

"It doesn't make sense," she added.

"I was willing to go all the way to London in the hope the sentence would be increased.

"I thought we were going to get somewhere. I just don't know what I can do with it now.

"I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward".

The abuse victim, who has been suffering from anxiety, was present during the trial and the sentencing at Worcester Crown Court.

In her personal statement that she read out in court, she said: "Craig didn’t just take my innocence as a child, I have an immense fear of being out in public and bumping into him.

"There are certain things like voices and smells that trigger the memories of what he did, and I nearly always end up in floods of tears or becoming angry and inconsolable.

"It can take me hours to calm down but then I feel drained and exhausted. This could happen at any time and has impacted on my ability to build relationships or trust new people, especially males.

"As a result of what happened to me, I am now hyper-vigilant around the safeguarding of my own children.

"One of my biggest anxieties comes from not being heard as nobody listened to me when I was a child.

"It’s easy for Craig to say he cannot remember, and I wish I could forget what he did, but for me, it’s a very real nightmare that I have to live with for the rest of my life."

Detective Constable Matthew Harris, who led the investigation, said: “I’d like to commend the victim on her immense courage in coming forward to report what Watson.

"I’m pleased that justice has been done and that Watson will now rightly spend time in prison for his crimes.

“I hope this helps to show that we take all reports of rape and sexual assault seriously and will thoroughly investigate them regardless of how long ago they took place.”