Three women expressed gratitude to a detective in our Child Abuse Investigation Team following the incarceration of the man, Peter Marrington London Paedophile, who sexually assaulted them during their childhood.
Peter Marrington, a 59-year-old resident of Woolmer Road, London, was convicted of several crimes, including three charges of rape. He appeared in Chelmsford Crown Court on 19 August and received a 21-year prison sentence.
An inquiry into Peter Marrington commenced in 2016 following a report received by Essex Police regarding Marrington’s maltreatment of children between the 1980s and early 2000s in West Essex, Norfolk, and London.
Additional investigations uncovered that Peter Marrington had sexually assaulted three underage females, with the youngest victim being only six years old at the time of the first incident.
In December 2016, Peter Marrington was apprehended and refuted all accusations against him.
However, he faced legal charges for committing four instances of indecent assault against a girl under the age of 14, as well as four cases of rape.
After a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court that commenced on 1 July, Peter Marrington was convicted of four charges of indecent assault and three charges of rape on a minor.
He was present in Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday, 19 August, where he received a prison sentence of 21 years. In addition, he was granted a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Supported throughout the process
Following Peter Marrington’s sentencing, one survivor encouraged anyone who has not found the strength to contact police to report.
“At the time of reporting to the police, I had the support of my partner. However, I didn’t have total strength until the police believed me and started to take the statements and get the ball rolling with the investigation. My strength started to grow even more. Then, once I found out about more victims from the same person, my strength was 100%, and I knew I had done the right thing by reporting it.
“I had no idea what the investigation would look like at the start of it; however, the police talked me through everything, which was very helpful.
“The police are there to help and support you throughout the process. They never judged me; they became part of my life and always believed in me. It may be a very hard thing to do, but it is worth it in the end, and it helped me to take a different view of what happened to me. It was the best but hardest decision I’ve ever made, and I am very proud of it.
“All I would like to say is hang in there no matter how long the process takes. You are stronger than you think; you are not to blame. It’s not you that has done anything wrong.
“You’re the victim, and you can do this.”
“The police handled my case with sensitivity and care.”
Another survivor who was abused by Peter Marrington when she was a child said:
“It is not as scary as I thought it would be. The police handled my case with sensitivity and care. I didn’t know I would feel any different after the guilty verdict, but it has brought me some closure and made it easier to talk about. Please don’t suffer in silence speak your truth.
““PC Longhurst talked me through the whole process and kept me updated with what was happening.
“I cannot thank Essex Police enough for their support, sensitivity and dedication in seeing my case through.”
Advice for other survivors
Another survivor said the following:
“I had the strength to report to the police as I had a gut feeling what was happening wasn’t right. I had no family or friends to help and I knew I could trust the police to keep me safe and keep me away from Peter Marrington.
“I would say to other survivors, just do it, report them straight to the police and keep away from them.
“You will be okay; everything will be alright and safe now.
“It’s important for your happiness and well-being to report sexual abuse to the police or someone you trust that will help you. I went straight to the police because I could trust they would help and keep me safe.”
The investigating officer commends survivors.
PC Christopher Longhurst, investigating officer in the case, said:
“It takes a strong person to wait eight years for their perpetrator to be found guilty of the horrendous crimes he’d put them through.
“Each of these victims has been patient throughout the delays in court, and I’d like to commend them for their patience and strength. Their bravery has meant that this dangerous man cannot harm anyone else.
“This was a complex and lengthy investigation, and our priority was to keep the victims informed so they would have the strength to continue. I commend the officers who worked on this case, especially Investigation Support Officer Michelle Wright, who closely supported the victims in taking most of the statements and obtaining information from witnesses.
“I understand that a perception of sexual offences investigations is that forensic evidence is needed and that non-recent sexual offences are more challenging to investigate.
“Our detectives across Essex Police are trained in investigating all allegations of sexual abuse and will always investigate whenever a survivor has found the strength to contact us.”
Getting support
Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone. Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex.
Synergy Essex is a partnership of rape and sexual abuse centres in Essex: CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis).
Synergy Essex is independent from the police and supports victims and survivors throughout their journey.
Victims and survivors can self-refer or be referred by a parent, partner, friend or professional and can access specialist emotional support, counselling and advocacy.
For victims and survivors who report to the police, Synergy Essex provides an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service, providing support throughout the criminal justice process.
For more information, visit the Synergy Essex website
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.