A woman who was raped by her father has hit out at a catalogue of misogynistic police failings during her four-decade fight for justice. Carol Higgins, from West Yorkshire, was repeatedly raped and abused by Elliot Appleyard as a teenager – with her now 77-year-old father convicted of five counts of rape and 10 counts of indecent assault back in 2019.
In a major U-turn, West Yorkshire Police has finally apologised to Ms Higgins for the long wait for her father’s conviction. Speaking to The Independent in an exclusive interview, Ms Higgins said when she first reported her father to the police for raping her in 1984 an officer told her if the case went to court, “you will be made out to be the biggest liar and slag going”. The 54-year-old said: “Their failure to investigate meant that I was forced to continually fight to ensure that a rapist face criminal justice.”
Ms Higgins said the police apology constitutes the first time in 39 years the West Yorkshire force has admitted her father’s offences were not handled “effectively and quickly”. The mother of two has been in a four-year civil court battle with the police, accusing them of infringing her human rights – culminating in the police apologising and a compensation payment of £15,000.
This story is from the April 28, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the April 28, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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