A rape victim has waived her�anonymity to speak of her eight-year ordeal at the hands of her own father.�
Candice Dinsdale, now 44, was just six when she was first sexually abused by her father Anthony Allen.�
The abuse, which took place at the family home, went on until she was 13. Yesterday as her father was jailed for 11 years, Mrs Dinsdale confessed she was only able to publicly speak out about the horrific abuse after the death of her mother, Patricia, 18 months ago.The mother of one said: ‘I have waited a long time for this day. The abuse stopped a long time ago, but the ghosts of my childhood have haunted me all my life.
‘Many years ago, I was betrayed by the one person I should have trusted the most. I kept putting off telling anybody about what had happened because I was afraid that nobody would believe me.
‘But in the end I felt that the only way I could really move on was to face up to this, and ensure that the person who caused all of my pain would pay. That day has arrived today and now I can look forward to Christmas, and to the future.’
She added: ‘Courage, and strength from my mother, helped me come to the police when I did, and I would hate to think that there are other victims out there who are trying to brush secrets like this under the carpet.
‘I tried to do the same thing and I can tell you now that it doesn’t work. Even though we are going back over 30 years, the police listened to what I had to say and fully investigated my claims.’
At Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Allen, 67, of Dukin field, near Manchester, pleaded guilty to rape, indecent assault and gross indecency.
The sexual abuse started at the family home in Dukinfield in 1970, when his daughter was six.
It continued until she ran away from home and her mother eventually uncovered the truth about Allen’s crimes.
But Candice refused to speak out against her father because she did not want to break up the family unit and the matter was brushed under the carpet.
It remained a dark family secret for 30 years until the death of her mother prompted Mrs Dinsdale to report the abuse to the police.
Detective Constable Kath McKenzie, who first interviewed Allen in May 2007, said: ‘Speaking up today is a very brave thing for Candice to do. The fact that it took her so long to report this proves the strength of the spell that this repulsive, abusive bully has had on her.
‘Candice’s whole life has been affected by this terrible story. Hopefully she can now look forward to Christmas, and her future, more positively.’
Mrs Dinsdale, from Tameside, Greater Manchester, said she could never forgive her father for the horror and abuse she suffered at his hands.
She said: ‘He’s an animal. He should have been castrated, not just sent to prison.’
The court heard Allen caused his daughter physical injuries during the rapes but would often pay her money in return for her silence.
The court was also told his daughter had suffered immense psychological harm due to the abuse and had suffered from depression and resorted to self-harming.
Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, said: ‘Not only were these offences committed in breach of the confidence as her father, the defendant tried to secure her silence ? there was an element of grooming ? with cash given to her after the rapes.’
When Mrs Allen eventually discovered the abuse she would sleep in her daughter’s bed to protect her from her own husband.
Sentencing Allen, Judge Jonathan Geake said: ‘You were Candice’s father. You sexually abused her persistently through out her childhood ? from the age of six right through to the age of 13.
‘You deprived her of her childhood and as she says, you ruined her life.’
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