The day I married my rapist

Catrina Young, 29, believed she’d found her second chance at happiness… she couldn’t have been more wrong

- Mel Fallowfield & Amisha Desai

Peering through the window, I could just make out my husband, Chris, in the darkness. It was late but in the glow of the patio light I could see him hard at work, carving out pumpkin lanterns.

‘You coming to bed yet?’ I asked, clicking open the door. He looked up. ‘Just wanted to get this finished,’ he said. ‘They are goingto love them.’

I smiled. It was October 2015 and Chris wanted to give the kids a surprise for Halloween. We’d only been married for three weeks but I felt so happy to have found such a caring man.

A happy new family

I’d first spotted him in my local corner shop. I’d been attracted to his stocky build, that cheeky look on his face, but I’d felt too shy to actually talk to him. So we’d just nodded and smiled at one another. And then, one night, with my three kids in bed, I’d seen a message from him on a local dating site. ‘Hi, haven’t I seen you around town?’ he’d written, giving his name as Christopher Lander. I couldn’t believe it and after getting to know him online, we’d met up for a drink. He was a dad and, like me, had come out of a failed relationship. I guessed we were both bruised souls who were just looking for a bit of company.

Soon we were meeting up all thetime. My kids adored him and my sister Crystal, then 28, gave her approval too. ‘It’s good to see you happy,’ she told me.

So Chris had moved in to my three-bed townhouse and I had fallen pregnant the following April, in 2013. On a caravan break with the kids he’d dropped to one knee. ‘I love you, Princess,’ he said. ‘I want to build a life with you, will you marry me?’ I didn’t think twice. ‘Yes!’ I cried.