'The damage you've done doesn't fade with time'

A WOMAN has shared the life-changing impact of sexual abuse to encourage other victims to come forward.

- By JADE MCELWEE

The woman, who is not being named to protect her anonymity, was sexually assaulted by John Dowson.

The 82-year-old from the Whitby area was sentenced at York Crown Court last week for two indecent assaults and a sexual assault against multiple victims between the 1990s and last year.

She addressed Dowson directly in a statement prepared for the court, telling him: "My life was changed forever by your actions - not just mine, but the lives of so many others who were affected in the ripple effect of your choices. What you did caused me irreversible pain and fear.

"The kind of fear that creeps into everyday moments. That lingers within spaces where I used to feel safe. The damage you've done doesn't just fade with time, it follows me and I believe it always will."

She said that the abuse has made it harder to trust people, adding: "I second guess my own instincts.