A woman who was raped by her father has received pay-offs and forgiveness from police after officers told her she would face 'the biggest slaggong' if she reported it to the authorities. It will be seen.
Carol Higgins, 55, was sexually abused by her father Elliot Appleyard, now 76, when she was 13.
The mother of two first reported Appleyard to police in 1985, and on four separate occasions from 1984 to 2015. But it wasn't until 2019 that he was jailed for 20 years for his crimes.
In 1985, Ms Higgins said she was told by the police that if she prosecuted it would 'blacken her name' and she would be considered 'the biggest slag going'.
A case was filed against him in the civil court West Yorkshire Police The way his case was handled four years ago – between 2005 and 2019.
The force has now finally apologized for taking 'too long' to bring Appleyard to justice and has paid Ms Higgins £15,000 compensation.
Police eventually apologized in December 2023 for 'taking too long' to come forward with Carroll's 'very serious and true allegations'.
Carol, a writer from Penistone, Barnsley, said: 'The pardon felt like a huge relief, and a weight off my shoulders – after fighting the police for all this time.
'I'm glad they're holding themselves accountable for how they treated me. Being validated was a big deal.
'Being without that validation created a lot of negative energy in me. Hopefully, now, I can release some of that anger.'
Appleyard abused the vulnerable teenager between 1983 and 1985, Leeds Crown Court heard in 2019.
A jury of seven women and four men took less than two hours to unanimously find Appleyard guilty of 15 charges after a seven-day trial.
The father of three was convicted of 5 counts of rape and 10 counts of indecent assault.
During the trial, Mr Hampton, prosecuting, said the abuse had 'destroyed his entire adult life' and he had received counseling for many years.
He said the appleyard in Denbydale, near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, ruled the house through threats of violence and beatings.
Jurors were shown a recorded police interview with Miss Higgins where she told officers that her father 'wanted to treat me like a wife' and would 'live happily ever after'.
Ms Higgins said she was made to wear her father's wife's engagement ring.
Ms Higgins, who now lives in Ackworth, wrote an autobiography titled 'Conquering the Impossible: Making the Dream Come True' which was published in 2015.
Ms Higgins opened the civil court case – the way her case was handled between 2005 and 2019.
She went to the police twice – in 2005 and 2012 – before her case was finally investigated in 2015, and brought to trial in 2019.
As part of the settlement agreement, which included a written apology, Carroll was paid £15,000 by West Yorkshire Police.
The letter from Chief Constable John Robbins of West Yorkshire Police said: 'I write as Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police to express my sincere apologies for the way you have been treated over the past 39 years. I ask
'It is acknowledged that your very serious and true allegations took a long time to come to justice, resulting in a delay in prosecuting your abuser and that was not your fault.
'It is deeply regrettable that it took so long to bring your abuser to justice.'
But Carroll says no amount will ever be enough for the past 39 years.
'The apology is welcome,' he added.
'But I think £15,000 is a small fraction for all that time, energy and all those years. I am still feeling the effects of this child abuse.
'I feel the pain of not being a father – all this grief and loss. What value do you really put on it?
'I fought them and won – that's how I stood by them.'
West Yorkshire Police said: 'The Chief Constable has apologized directly to the complainant on behalf of West Yorkshire Police and has given him personal assurances that the force has learned from the mistakes made in his case.'