‘Every element of our lives has changed’: Mother of sexual abuse victim speaks out after Northampton paedophile jailed

A mother of a sexual abuse victim has spoken out after the monster - a Northampton man - who abused her daughter was jailed.

Edwin Darby, of Berry Lane, Wootton, was sentenced to four and half years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court on May 5, after he admitted two counts of assault of a girl under 13, by touching.

Now the mum - who cannot be named for legal reasons - has spoken to Chronicle & Echo and said “every element” of her and her daughter’s lives “has changed”.

Talking about the effect the abuse has had on her daughter, the mum said: “Initially she didn’t realise that anything was wrong. I think as she is getting older and they’re bringing in PSHE in school and learning about trusting people and stranger danger, she is beginning to understand more.

“The further we have gone on, the more it affects her. We didn’t ask for any of this.

“She sleeps in my room and doesn’t like being on her own. She tells me ‘Mum I don’t ever want you to leave’.

“Every element of our lives has changed. Even going to the supermarket, if she sees someone that resembles him, she freaks out.

“If we’re watching TV and she sees or hears something that triggers her - something innocent - she will turn the TV off.

“I never really understood social anxiety until all of this but I feel like I’m aware of everything now. I over-analyse every situation, I’m defensive and I’m very, very overprotective. I’m having to second guess everything and everyone.”

Discussing the court hearing itself, the mum feels the sentence is not long enough as she fears “he could be out in two years”.

“Absolutely nothing in this world that could have prepared me for what I heard that day,” the mum added.

“I feel that the sentence is ridiculous. It’s disgusting.

“He can carry on, he can go back to his life and he won’t have a sign saying ‘I’m a paedophile, don’t come near me’.

“It scares the life out of me that he could be out in two years.”

Despite the pain and trauma the case has caused, the mum is keen to speak out about the ordeal in a bid to de-stigmatise reporting sexual assaults and to help other victims come forward.

“There’s still a lot of shame associated with this sort of thing, but why would you not want to share this? If it was your child you would want people to know who had done this”, the mum continued.

“There is a lot of stigma, like ‘it must be the mum’s fault’ or ‘was the child a certain way?’

“There is an element of victim shaming but it shouldn’t be like that.

“I can speak out and then if there is anyone else who has been a victim hopefully that will give them the confidence to come forward. It should not be something to be embarrassed about. Protecting your child should always be the number one priority.”

The Crown Court judge also implemented a restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order on Darby during sentencing.