Five survivors have “finally seen justice served” after a sex offender who raped and abused under-age girls was sent to prison for a total of 25 years.
On Wednesday (27 October), 54-year-old Timothy Fawlk of Park End Road, Gloucester, was found guilty at Cirencester Nightingale Court of a series of offences on young girls spanning decades.
The jury returned the guilty verdicts within four and a half hours after hearing the 23 counts of Fawlk repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting multiple victims between 1997 and 2018.
Yesterday (Thursday 28 October) Fawlk was sentenced to 25 years in prison at Gloucester Crown Court.
Indefinite restraining orders were also granted against Fawlk in relation to all victims.
Fawlk will have an additional five years extended licence added to the end of his sentence. This means that when he is released from prison he will still be subject to licence conditions for five years beyond the end of his sentence
Five brave survivors gave evidence at the trial and four of those victims have now given their thoughts on the process of reporting the abuse to police, encouraging any other victims of similar crimes to do the same.
Victim A said: “Since the day I reported this awful experience, not once was I made to feel like I wasn’t believed. I have been taken seriously every step of the way by the police. Despite taking a long time to get to court due to the pandemic, I was kept updated and reassured that I was never forgotten about. Overall, I just wish I had made my report a lot sooner than I did.”
Victim B said: “I would just like to say how happy I am with the whole criminal justice system. I wasn’t sure whether to go (to police) due to being scared and thinking nobody would believe me. If there is anyone out there with the same situation I encourage them go forward as soon as possible, they will believe you and they will take you seriously! The support offered is amazing, I can not fault them in any way and would like to thank them for everything they have done.”
Victim C said: “Finally I can put behind me what I’ve been carrying around for many years. It’s never too late to come forward. The support from the police and GRASAC (Gloucestershire’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre) has been amazing, I feel they’ve genuinely cared for my feelings. Finally after all this time justice has been served.”
Victim D said: “I’m so glad justice has been served it’s been a long wait but from start to finish but I cannot fault the police who dealt with my case. They never once doubted me. They kept me informed throughout the whole process explaining every step we had to go through.
“I would encourage any victim of this sort of crime to never worry about telling police. In all honestly I do I feel I was let down all those years ago. I now have closure on that part of my life.”
DC Peter Rowsell the officer in charge of the case said:
“Firstly I would like to commend the bravery and the courage of the victims in this case. They disclosed the most horrendous sexual abuse and did not hesitate in telling the Court what they had experienced. In the absence of any remorse from the defendant, each and every victim conducted themselves with great dignity. The strong sentence reflects the gravity of his offending.
“Gloucestershire Police will support all victims of sexual violence when they come forward to report incidents. It is never too late to report and there are specialist departments that have experience in investigating these types of offences and seeking to bring offenders to justice.
“Victims have a right to have their allegations investigated and can also expect to be offered emotional support whilst the investigation is ongoing. In respect of this case, I should acknowledge the vital role played by our partners at the Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (GRASAC) in supporting the victims.”
Advice and support around reporting non-recent child abuse can be found here: www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-c…/types-of-abuse/non-recent-abuse/
