Mum’s eight-year ‘battle for justice’ to see rapist jailed

A woman who waited more than eight years for her rapist to be jailed said the criminal justice system had “silenced and ignored” her.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, alleged rape in 2017, and the attacker was sentenced today after years of delays and mistakes by the police, prosecutor’s office and courthouse.

Allan Peyton was sentenced to five years in prison at Worcester Crown Court after being found guilty of rape and assault by penetration.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it was aware of the “profound impact delays can have on victims” and had taken action, working closely with police forces.

The woman, a mother of two children, said: “Continuous struggle for justice” It left him feeling “hopeless and abandoned.”

The court heard that Peyton, 45, broke into her home in the early hours of May 7, 2017 and raped her while she was drunk.

He reported the attack to West Mercia Police the next day.

But a series of extraordinary delays, including an inadequate police investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service initially choosing not to charge him due to lack of evidence, then reviewing the case and changing their minds, then a lack of courts and staff to hear the case, meant that Peyton was not finally convicted until July.

There had been three previous attempts to punish him since the summer, all of which were postponed.

Following the sentencing, the woman told the BBC: “Given that it’s taken eight and a half years to get to this point, I feel like I’ve actually suffered this punishment myself.”

“I am extremely relieved that we have reached the final part.”

She added: “It was beyond anything I could have ever imagined, from the emotional breakdowns to it completely consuming my every day, to never being able to get away from it, to never knowing when it would end.

“All this while navigating my personal security because that was left in the wind.

“Even after the sentencing and conviction, I felt completely abandoned by the entire process.”

In a statement, the CPS said: “We recognize that delays can have a profound impact on victims and that is why we are taking action, working closely with our police colleagues to help build the strongest case from the start.

“Whilst in recent years this has led to a reduction in the time between the CPS receiving the file and making a charging decision, we know there is still more to do and that is why last week we launched our new strategy on Violence Against Women and Girls.”

Chief Supt Edd Williams, of West Mercia Police, added: “We expect a high standard of investigation and support for survivors and if anyone feels we have fallen below that level we would encourage them to speak to us through our complaints process so we can learn and improve.

“We hope today’s sentencing can finally bring some kind of closure.”