A British dad will spend six years behind bars for repeatedly raping a 13-year-old girl after watching her exercise. Michael Robert Woodfine, 26 and from Liverpool, is accused of causing the victim “immense” physical harm and leaving her feeling emotionally traumatized, the Liverpool Echo reports. She was said to be “terrified” of being attacked by Woodfine again and was unable to watch his sentencing because she was so upset.
1. WOODFINE SPECIFICALLY TARGETED THE GIRL.Recorder Richard Pratt, QC, told Liverpool Crown Court that Woodfine became aroused after watching the girl do gym activity and repeatedly molested and raped her. The victim is so scared that prosecutors believe she may be scarred for life.
2. THE VICTIM TOLD THE COURT THAT WOODFINE RUINED HER LIFE.As Pratt told the court, “I have referred to the physical harm she sustained. The emotional harm – astonishing as it may sound – outweighs even that physical harm. She says in a moving victim personal statement that you destroyed her life, you had taken away her childhood and she feels she will never be happy again.
3. THE GIRL EVEN MENTIONED THAT SHE BLAMED HERSELF FOR BEING ATTACKED.Such a horrific experience is never the victim’s fault, but the girl did mention that she felt at fault for what happened to her. “I emphasize publicly she should feel no sense of blame at all,” the judge told Woodfine during sentencing. “You should carry that sense of blame and shame for the rest of your life for what you did to her.”
4. WOODFINE TURNED HIMSELF IN.After the girl’s mother reported the crime to police, Woodfine voluntarily came into the station to talk to authorities and admitted abusing the girl, telling them, “she was young and it wasn’t right.” However, the fact that he raped her multiple times on several different occasions shows he didn’t care how wrong it was. He will spend six years in prison, but that’s not nearly enough.