Westcliff: Woman thanks officers after rapist jailed

A woman has thanked our officers for the ‘incredible job’ they have done to secure justice for her after a man who raped her was jailed for more than 11 years.

Luke Amos (then known as Luke Looker), 34, formerly of The Warren, Manor Park was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison at Birmingham Crown Court on 10 December having admitted to rape and sexual assault of a child.

He’d assaulted a girl 13 years ago in Southend and she’d reported it to us when he contacted her via social media in 2016. to apologise for what he’d done

The woman, who is remaining anonymous, said: “When I decided to go to the police about what happened to me, I was nervous due to reading horror stories about the process, and low chances of conviction.

“However, I feel I can sit back and say, from the bottom of my heart, every officer, and individual assigned to me for support has done an incredible job.

“The whole time, I’ve felt comfortable, safe, understood, supported, and most of all, listened to.

“I can take away a positive message from such a horrible situation: survivors may feel scared, which is completely normal, but no matter what the outcome of the case may be, you’ll always have someone at the other end of the phone for support and encouragement.

“Even though the case has ended, I’ve still got the support of the officer in the case DC Tracy Schofield and DC Emily Monk who stepped in when DC Schofield wasn’t available.

“I’ve also been supported by Independent Sexual Violence Advisors at CARA and a local counselling service. And this is there until I feel ready for it to come to an end.

“This makes me feel confident and very happy with all aspects of the case, the hard work and hours put into it, and I’ve never felt so strong.

“I’m very thankful for the outcome of my particular case, and I will forever appreciate everybody’s help.”

Investigating officer Detective Constable Tracy Schofield said: “The survivor of this assault has shown incredible bravery in reporting what had happened.

“No-one should be subjected to the ordeal she went through, let alone as a child.

“I hope Amos’s sentencing will help her move forwards.

“If you come forward to report to us that you’ve been the victim of a sexual offence, no matter when it happened, you will be listened to and we will do our best to get justice for you.”

You can find more information about the support and advice available about sexual offences on our website: https://www.essex.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/