A Suffolk teenager who was sexually abused by her stepfather from the ages of nine to 13 has waived her right to anonymity to tell others about her 10 year fight for justice.
Katie Simpson, 19, was subjected to four years of sexual abuse from Peter William Goodchild, also known as Peter Scott, 67.
Last week, her stepfather was sentenced to 10 years in prison with four years on extended licence for the abuse.
In addition, he was given concurrent sentences for the abuse of two other girls, also under 13.
Katie, who lives near Wattisfield with her mother Sarah, says her stepfather kept her silent and said her mother would hate her and would not believe her if she spoke out, while at the same time telling her she was very special to him.
The weight of the trauma has led Katie to three suicide attempts but in court she told Peter Goodchild from the stand: “I am glad I failed on all of those occasions, because I knew your day would come”.
Now, “ecstatic” with the sentence, Katie hopes that by publicly sharing her story, others will have the courage to come forward.
Her stepfather had previously been convicted of possessing and making indecent photographs of children, but he convinced her mother at the time that the images had been put on his computer by someone else and even went to a specialist doctor who deemed him a low risk to any child.
The first of the three victims came forward in 2016 aged 11 but at first no one believed her - including Katie because her stepfather told her she was the only “special” one that he abused.
But later a second came forward, before Katie herself in March last year.
Katie told her mother Goodchild sexually assaulted her but she could not bring herself to go into further detail.
Goodchild confessed he had touched her over clothing as the other two girls had said he did to them.
But while Katie was on holiday in Turkey with her mother and Goodchild was in the UK, she told Sarah that it had gone beyond this, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
“I am just thankful that we were in Turkey, as I am sure if I had been at home, I would be in prison today,” Sarah told him from the stand.
Katie said: “He stole my childhood from me and took any ounce of self-respect I had.”
Despite this Katie explained how she felt caught between relief and sorrow, even during the sentence.
“There was a part of me that thought, ‘he was a nice stepdad’. He helped me buy my first car and helped me fix things.
“He always helped me, but he also ruined me. He was keeping me sweet. He always said, ‘family doesn’t turn on family’ and told me he’d be killed in prison.
“In court when they said 14 years, even though I was relieved, I still felt some guilt.”
“I didn’t feel guilty,” her mother interjected.
Katie continued: “But I need to be strong, not for me, but for the next person.
“Coming forward could save another girl’s life. I know girls who have succeeded in taking their own lives. I’m lucky I got justice instead.”
She addressed any other silent victims of abuse: “It gets better. I promise you.
“I want you to stand up for yourself because these people don’t deserve to walk around free.
“Stay strong. Yes, now is a whirlwind but there is a day that will come when the sun will shine and you will know your feet are still stood on the Earth and justice will come.”
Sarah feels she is also a victim of the “monster’s” manipulation.
“People might comment nasty things about how I should have known or did know,” Sarah said.
“It doesn’t matter what people say because no one can punish me more than I already have been punished by my own feeling of guilt.
“I didn’t protect the one person I’m meant to protect most in the world.
“I can’t stop what happened to Katie but I’ll scream and shout to make sure it doesn’t happen to another child.”
Sarah said people have told her she is not to blame but she added: “You can’t tell yourself that at two in the morning when you’re analysing it.”
Despite these feelings, Sarah sees the sentence as a victory and wrote the number 14 on the fridge to remind herself how long he was given each time she walks past.
“I feel really proud of my kids and I’m pleased with how we read our impact statements.
“Katie had the option to do it behind a screen, but she said no, I want to look him in the face.
“Her statement probably is the only one that did have an impact on him.”
She commended Judge Emma Peters and said she had done a “brilliant” job.
Both Katie and Sarah also spoke highly of the police and their work to make sure Goodchild got the sentence he deserved.
DC Stefan Iftode, who investigated the offences, said: “This was an extremely traumatic experience for the victims and committed by an offender who abused his position of trust by this offending.
“The victims have shown incredible bravery and this case clearly demonstrates we are absolutely committed to pursuing perpetrators, supporting victims and continuing to ensure the safety of our communities.
“We urge victims of any serious violent or sexual offence to come forward to the police and we remain committed to supporting all victims who report sexual offences.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel