"Please trust our police - they did everything to get me justice"
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"Please trust our police and all the services they provide. I can hand on heart say they did everything to get me the justice I deserved."
These are the words of a woman after her sexual abuser was jailed for 15 years after admitting his crimes.
The survivor, who reported the offences to Essex Police in 2022, thanked officers who have helped and assisted with the case and have been:
"nothing but supportive over the past two years.”
She also urged anyone who has experienced sexual assault to trust Essex Police and consider reporting it to them.
“I would like to say to anybody out there who sadly may be experiencing or experienced a similar thing to please trust our police and all the services they provide; I can hand on heart say they did everything to get me the justice I deserved.
"I am finally able to put this part of my life behind me, though it will be with me forever I can now look forward and create an amazing life for me and the people I care about the most.”
On Thursday 28 November Jan Vanderweiden, 60, of no fixed address in the Castle Point district, appeared at Basildon Crown Court to be sentenced in connection with five counts of sexual activity with a child over a four-year period.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years on extended licence.
For the first offence he was sentenced to nine years in prison, with five years on extended licence. For the second offence he was jailed for six years to run consecutively. For the other three offences he was sentenced to five years on each, all to run concurrently with the other sentences.
He was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and a deprivation order was made in respect of his mobile phone.
"remarkable woman"
Following the complex two-year investigation Det Con Georgina Stroud said: “Vanderwieden is a manipulative sexual offender, and the sentence reflects this.
“The survivor has shown nothing but strength and resilience throughout this difficult process. As the judge correctly mentioned in her sentencing summary, the survivor is a remarkable woman.
"I hope the survivor’s words encourage others to come forward.
"We will listen to you and do what we can to ensure you receive the justice you deserve.”
The survivor paid specific tribute to Det Con Stroud:
“I am forever grateful to you all at Essex Police, especially Georgina Stroud, you have been nothing but supportive for the last two years.”
Synergy Essex
Synergy Essex offers independent and specialised services for individuals who have experienced rape or sexual abuse in Essex.
Synergy Essex is a partnership of three services; Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse (CARA), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service, and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis).
The services provided by Synergy Essex are independent of the police. This ensures individuals can seek help whether they choose to report the incident or not. This could be in relation to something that happened recently or in the past.
Survivors and victims can access support by reaching out on their own or through a referral from someone they trust. This could be a family member, friend, or professional.
At Synergy Essex, people of all ages can benefit from specialised emotional support. This includes counselling and advocacy.
For those pursuing legal action, they offer the help of an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA). The advisers can guide and support them through the criminal justice process.
To learn more about the services available, please visit the Synergy Essex website.
Victims' code
At Essex Police we put victims at the heart of everything we do. The Victims’ Code explains the rights that everyone can expect to receive as a victim of crime, and helps us define what we must do for all victims from their initial contact with our force until the conclusion of their case.
Find out more about the code and to understand the rights of a victim of crime, on our Support for victims and witnesses of crime page.
To report a crime, please use our digital 101 service. In an emergency call 999.