A WOMAN has bravely spoken out after she was raped by her dad from the age of three – before her own brother continued the abuse when she’d finally escaped.
Sarah Sidebottom, 54, was raped and sexually abused by her father Arthur William Bowditch, 75, and her brother Arthur Stephen Bowditch, 56.
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Sarah, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, has opened up about her appalling trauma in a new book called ‘The Letter’.
Sarah, now married and a mum-of-two and a grandmother, recalled being sexually abused by her father when she was just three-and-a-half years old.
She said: “To the outside world, Dad was charming, a big character, larger than life, and well-known locally as a builder.
“But at home, he was a monster, with a dark, evil look in his eyes.”
Her father threatened to “shoot” Sarah and her mother if she told anyone of the abuse.
After her parents separated when she was 13 years old, Sarah thought her “nightmare” was over.
Her older brother, known as Stephen, went to live with his father.
But her brother then came to live with Sarah and her grandma and he raped her when she was 15.
Sarah explained: “I couldn’t believe it was happening again. Stephen raped me and it was horrendous.”
She was so badly hurt by one of the assaults by her father that she received internal injuries.
Sarah required surgery and was discharged from hospital on her fourth birthday.
Her father had told doctors she had fallen down the stairs.
A letter from West Somerset Hospital shows they believed he was telling the truth.
Yet it was that same medical document that helped get her justice.
Sarah continued: “I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I had no memory of going into hospital, no memory at all of the operation.
“I have scarring down below, but I never really thought of it in connection with the sexual abuse.
“The police told me the letter was vital in the decision to bring charges against my father and brother.”
Bowditch Senior was sentenced to 21 years in prison while his son was jailed for 12 years.
Sarah said that she felt the judge was too lenient on the pair.
She is now telling her story in the hope others will come forward themselves.
The book about Sarah’s life is now available to buy here.
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
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