Sheffield Incest Case - Prolonged Incestuous Abuse

Prolonged Incestuous Abuse

The man continued the abuse by frequently relocating his family to keep them isolated, keeping them out of school when they had any visible injuries, and threatening them with violence. The children's mother had left some years before due to the violence she endured.

The sexual abuse began when the girls were eight and ten years old. He would call their names in the middle of the night, and even smear "fake blood" on their doors while they were sleeping. There was threatening behaviour used to enforce it including beatings, and their heads being pushed by the gas fire so they were scorched if they moved away. He threatened to kill both them and their children if they told anyone of the abuse. All the children said he dominated the family. To begin with, the attacks were every day, then frequently every two to three days, with the one daughter babysitting while the other was raped. He would even rape them while they were pregnant.

His two daughters had nineteen pregnancies between them, including five miscarriages, five terminations and two children dying soon after birth. Seven of their children survived. He was said to have 'taken pleasure' from the harm he was inflicting, and the fathering of the children, despite the difficult pregnancies and deaths. If they took contraceptive pills, he told them to stop it and they felt they had to obey.

The women's relationships with their current partners gave them the courage to come forward. Although the man at first denied the crimes, DNA testing confirmed that he was the father of the women's children. The women said his imprisonment gave them only the knowledge that he could not physically touch them again, the suffering he caused will continue for many years and they now have to concentrate on finding the strength to rebuild their lives.