Brave victim speaks of nine years of rape and sexual abuse by paedophile former Army corporal

A courageous woman who was subjected to a torrent of sickening sexual abuse between the ages of 7 and 15 at the hands of a former Army corporal has spoken of the torment of having to carry a secret that ate away at her for decades.

Spontaneous applause broke out around courtroom one at Truro Crown Court on Wednesday (March 14) after Judge Robert Linford jailed Kosovan war veteran Martin Rowe for 11 years.

The sentence will begin to run once the peadophile completes an existing eight-year sentenced handed to him at Swindon Crown Court for abusing a seven-year-old girl and taking pictures of the acts on his mobile phone.

The Truro courtroom was packed with the victim’s friends and family and she has since welcomed the sentence, saying it allowed her to finally open a new chapter in her life.

Rowe, formerly of Bodmin, previous admitting charges of rape, three indecent assaults and indecent activity with a child in the 1980s and 1990s.

The victim, who is guaranteed anonymity by law, said: “I feel relieved I no longer have to carry this secret. This is 100% a new chapter for me and I can move forward and never have to face him again. For the last 20 years I would never know when he would come home (from overseas) and pretend to be my friend to everyone else.

“I carried my secret and buried it to the core. It affects your whole life. It is hard and I convinced myself that I never would get justice.

“Today was a massive day for me. I can now more forward and know it’s not eating away at my anymore. I feel a totally different person.”

She said she learned to adopt a "hard exterior" and caught Rowe looking at her out of the corner of his eye during the hearing before he quickly looked away.

She added: “I had to find the inner strength or else I wouldn’t be here today. He abused me for nine years and in my adult life I started drinking heavily. Then I vowed that he took my childhood away so I had to deal with it so he wouldn’t take any more of my life away.

“I’m hoping others will now come forward, not just with him but anyone who has been in that situation. These sick men need locking up.”

During the sentencing hearing prosecutor Heather Hope told the court the chilling details of Rowe’s crimes.

She described how the abuse started when Rowe, now 45, was 14 or 15 and continued over an extended period of time.

Miss Hope explained how on one occasion Rowe put his hand in her underwear and touched her vagina.

Miss Hope said: “It amounted to grooming behavior and he manipulated her making her think that she was special, saying that if she was to say anything she wouldn’t be believed. She became introverted and shy as a result of the abuse.”

The victim is said to have “frozen” when the defendant approached her and tried to have sex with her.

When he was 16 Rowe joined the Army, giving the defendant temporary respite, but he returned following training, telling her that he loved her and wanted to have sex with her.

The most serious count admitted by Rowe was a rape when he was in his twenties and the defendant was a underage, Miss Hope saying he coerced her into sex as “she lay there rigid hating every minute”.

Rowe told the girl the sexual activity must remain a secret. Further sexual activity included when he made her masturbate him and perform oral sex on him.

It wasn’t until many years later, when the victim found out he was being prosecuted for other sex crimes against children, that she went to the police.

Defending Rowe, Deni Matthews, said he entered his guilty plea at the earliest opportunity, preventing the victim from having to give evidence, and that he was a teenager when the abuse started.

Mr Matthews said: “For 24 years her served with distinction and was a corporal when he left the Army. These crimes have cost him his relationship with his natural children and his wife.

“Heavy drinking is a backdrop in his life and he has been struck low and taken to the bottom by his offending. He understands what he did.”

Sentencing Rowe, Judge Linford said: “You groomed, manipulated and told the victim that she was special and that if she ever said anything she wouldn’t be believed.

“When you joined the Army she got some respite but when you returned you raped her and coerced her into sex even though it wasn’t what she wanted. You told her you loved her and that you wanted to marry her.

“You have a highly relevant conviction which proves this was not an isolated set of offending and you have demonstrated that you had and still have deviant peadophile tendencies.

“You have now lost everything and cut a sad and isolated figure. None of your family want anything to do with you.

“The victim personal statement describes how the victim went from being a happy, confident girl to someone who suffers flashbacks and has had problems forming happy relationships and trusting men. She says you stole her innocence.”

The victim’s family and friends applauded Judge Linford’s lengthy sentence before embracing tearfully outside the courtroom.

How I got the story

I cover sickening sexual abuse cases at court all the time and it's true that you do become a little desensitised, as bad as it sounds.

However, this one will stick in my mind for a long time due to the strength displayed by the victim.

I was present when Rowe pleaded guilty to the charges he faced and outside the courtroom after I engaged in conversation with a family member of the victim.

The woman indicated that the victim would be willing to speak, providing her anonymity remained in tact.

Shortly before the sentencing hearing I made contact with the victim and then following the case I spoke with her and she told me the devastating effect the abuse has had on her life.

This gave this sentencing story a particularly hard-hitting, additional angle and really added emphasis to the story.

Cornwall Live links

The sentencing