Huntley sex assault woman wins damages
By Natalie Paris and agencies
Last Updated: 3:24pm BST 24/04/2007
A woman who was sexually assaulted as a schoolgirl by Soham murderer Ian Huntley has won her right to damages.
Hailey Giblin, who is now 21 and has waived her right to anonymity, claimed she was molested by Huntley when she was 11-years-old.
The double murderer initially denied the attack but finally relented yesterday and signed a confession from his police cell.
The admission won Ms Giblin her entitlement to damages in a civil case heard at Manchester Crown Court today.
At a hearing before District Judge Dick Fairclough, the court was formally informed of Huntley's confession.
The judge postponed a ruling on the level of damages to be awarded to Ms Giblin and ordered that a number of police statements should be released to her lawyers.
It is understood that Huntley, 33, who is serving two life sentences for the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, is insolvent.
Although the amount of damages to be awarded has not yet been finalised, Ms Giblin told reporters outside the court that the ruling is "priceless".
She believes that had police taken action against Huntley over her complaint he would not had been in a position to murder the two 10-year-olds in Soham.
Speaking outside court she said: "I feel a massive sense of relief that Ian Huntley has admitted that in the summer of 1997 he took me, an innocent 11-year-old little girl, from the sanctity of my street to an orchard where I was subject to the most horrific sexual attack at his hands, yet I still feel upset that Huntley was left at large, resulting in the deaths of two innocent children."
She said she hopes that her story will inspire other victims of abuse and added: "This has blighted my life for 10 years now - almost half of my life - and I felt I had no other choice than to fight for justice, and fight for what I believe in."
Ms Giblin, from Barton-upon-Humber, north Lincolnshire, is suing social services for failing to provide suitable aftercare.
She said: "I feel I wasn't just the victim of Ian Huntley but also a victim of Social Services and Humberside Police."
The case was adjourned for six months.
UPDATE: See here.
No comments:
Post a Comment