It took 20 years to bring my rapist to justice, says Norfolk man

While working on a jury in 2018, Dan Cooper said he realized that he had to continue justice for him after being raped in 2004.

Dan When I heard the people who gave evidence, I could see myself in the same situation, dedan Dan said, after renunciation of anonymity to share his story.

After the hearing, now 39 -year -old Watton, Norfolk, Norfolk decided to go back to the police and inform the attacker.

On February 27, 2024, 20 years after the attack took place, Shaun Gilder of Suffolk, Oulton Broaden was sentenced to eight years in prison after he was convicted of two points rape and penetration.

WARNING – This article contains sad content

When he met Shaun Gilder at Norwich in 2004, he was 17 years old and his matches became his first relationship.

On Saturday evening of May that year, when Gilder was drunk and asked Dan to take him home, he had a barbecue.

In the middle of the night Gilder, Dan’a Norfolk, James Paget Hospital in Gorleston’daki said to stop the car on a quiet road behind.

He attacked Gilder Dan and left him with serious internal injuries that directed him to the hospital three times that summer.

Traumatized Dan was able to take Gilder home before he returned to his mother’s house.

“I slept on the bed for hours, ‘What happened? What did he continue?’ ‘He said.

The next September went to the police from the police and reported the attack.

Dan said he made a statement at that time, but he did not progress any more because he was “not extremely good at that point.”

His grandmother and grandfather and other family members did not know that they were gay.

“Life was different then,” he said.

Dan is now a project manager for public service, but he previously worked in a prison and said that prisoners kept himself in tears when he argued his own abuse.

The authority added that he was attacked at work and that led to feedback.

“Then the jury service. He’s going back to the rape again. An uninterrupted cycle that he has to stop.”

According to Dan, female witnesses who helped to convict in the 2018 case in which she was a member of the jury were “inspiring”.

“It was noteworthy to see that they went up and gave evidence and deal with difficult questions thrown on their way.” He said.

“I was currently working as an immigrant officer at Stansted Airport and I had to get sick for three weeks.

“Then I reported it again [the attack] The police and I asked them to take them forward what they said they could do, “he added.

In 2018, two Norfolk police detectives were appointed to Dan’s case, and in November 2023, a accusation and hearing in Norwich Crown Court.

In the expression of the victim effect, Dan explained how the complex traumatic stress disorder (PTSB) linked to rape was diagnosed.

“I have regular suicide thoughts, and there is still,” he wrote.

According to the criminal survey for the UK and Wales, one -fourth of adult women and approximately 6% of adult men have attempted sexual assault victims or sexual assault.

2024 Studies 44% of the 180 people who were subjected to graphic evidence in court by Manchester Metropolitan University reported consistent symptoms with TSSB.

“Past trauma experiences, mental health difficulties and emergency stress reactions during a trial can worse their emotional and stress reactions.”

In 2004, Dan’s mother, Nicki Duffield, confronted Gilder when he came to see his son in the hospital after he told him what happened.

“I had anger like a burning fire in me. I was very angry,” he remembered.

Gilder left and was the last time he saw him.

Talking to his son, he said: “I was proud of you for your belief that you have been attached to what you believe and take it to the end. This was justice for you. You worked hard.

“Mentally, it really hurt you and we could see how you were fighting.”

Dan said that his work as a firefighter on the call for Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service helped him in the healing process.

“Doing this for the community gave me something to focus and gave me something to live,” he said.

Dan said he now enjoyed his three dogs, mountain bikes and traveling.

Since May, he started to make videos about his experiences and published them on social media that he had 12,000 followers in Tiktok.

“He helped a lot of people. He said. “I have to do this.”

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