"My dad raped me when I was a child. 39 years after calling me a 's**g', police have said sorry"

Carol Higgins, aged 55, from Penistone, Barnsley, reported Elliot Appleyard to the police five times between 1985 and 2015.

She recalls how, in 1985, police told her it would “blacken her name” and she would be considered “the biggest s**g going” if she pursued the case.

Appleyard, now aged 76, was convicted of five counts of rape and 10 counts of indecent assault in 2019, and jailed for 20 years.

The abuse took place between 1983 and 1985 while Carol was aged between 13 and 15, and she would be abused by Appleyard “three or four times a week”, Leeds Crown Court heard.

He once took her to a tattoo parlour to get his nickname tattooed on her shoulder, and put an engagement ring on her finger, telling her they would "live happily ever after".

In December 2023, West Yorkshire Police apologised for “the way in which [she has] been treated over the last 39 years”, and paid her £15,000 in compensation.

Carol, an author, said: "The apology felt like a big relief, and a weight off my shoulders - after battling police for all this time. I'm glad they're making themselves accountable for how they treated me.

"It was a big thing, to have validation. Living without that validation created a lot of negative energy inside me. Hopefully, now, I can let go of some of that anger."

The mother-of-two has been in a four-year civil court battle with the police, which she launched over the handling of her case.

Part of the settlement agreement included a written apology from the force.

The letter from John Robins, Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, says: "I write as Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police to offer my sincere apology for the way in which you have been treated over the last 39 years.

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"It is accepted that your extremely serious and truthful allegations took too long to come to justice, resulting in the delay of the prosecution of your abuser and this was not your fault.

"It is a matter of profound regret that it took so long for your abuser to be convicted."

During the trial, Mr Hampton, prosecuting, said the abuse had “destroyed all of her adult life” and she had received counselling for many years.

He said Appleyard, a father of three, ruled the household through violence and threats of beatings.

Jurors were shown a recorded police interview with Carol where she told officers her father "wanted to treat me like a wife" and would "live together happily ever after".

They took less than two hours to unanimously find him guilty of 15 charges following a seven-day trial.

She added: “The apology is welcome, but I think the £15,000 is a bit of a p**stake for all that time, energy and all those years.

"I'm still feeling the effects of that child abuse, now. I'm feeling the pain of not having a father - all that grief and loss. What price do you put on it, really?

"I fought them and won - that's how I stood up to them."

Carol, who now lives in Ackworth, wrote an autobiography titled 'Conquering the Impossible: Making the Dream Come True' which was published in 2015.

West Yorkshire Police said: "The Chief Constable has apologised directly to the complainant on behalf of West Yorkshire Police and given his personal reassurance that the force has learned from the mistakes made in her case."

Anyone affected by issues in this article can contact organisations such as Rape Crisis, Women’s Aid, Victim Support, or Male Survivors Partnership. Rape Crisis has a free helpline at 0808 500 2222 or you can use the free online chat.