CLIVE ROYALES SENTENCED IN OLDHAM FOR CHILD ABUSE AND INDECENT ASSAULT CASE
In a case that has shocked the community of Oldham, Clive Royales, a 49-year-old former engineering company executive, has been sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of three counts of indecent assault.The conviction follows a lengthy and complex legal process that spanned over a decade, highlighting the difficulties in prosecuting historic abuse cases.
Royales showed no visible emotion as the jury delivered their verdict at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court.
The jury, after a week-long trial, reached an 11-1 majority verdict on each of the three charges.
Judge Bernadette Baxter, presiding over the case, condemned Royales' actions, describing them as a "grotesque breach of trust." She emphasized that his conduct was a selfish and wholly inappropriate relationship driven by his own sexual gratification, with no regard for the well-being of the young girl involved.
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Baxter made it clear that Royales would be placed on the sex offenders register for life.
She also criticized his apparent lack of remorse, stating, "You have shown no remorse for your wrongdoing at all." The case was particularly notable because it was the third time Royales had faced a jury regarding allegations from the same complainant, who had come forward after many years.
The initial trial was aborted when the judge had to dismiss the jury for legal reasons, and the second trial, held last year, ended without a verdict.
The prosecution, led by Simon Blakebrough, revealed that the complainant, now an adult woman, was just 12 or 13 years old when Royales began grooming her.
The court heard that Royales, who was old enough to be her father, engaged in a series of sexual acts with her, starting with an encounter on his office desk at his Oldham workplace.
The girl described how their relationship involved unprotected sex, occurring regularly up to three times a week, until her mother discovered Royales' affair with another woman and evicted him from the family home.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, explained that she was initially unaware that her relationship with Royales was abusive.
She believed at the time that she was in love with him, and only later realized the true nature of their relationship.
In a police interview, she recounted how Royales had promised them a future in Greece, living on a boat, when she was 16, a statement that now seems naive in light of the abuse she endured.
She also revealed that their sexual encounters took place in various locations, including her father's VW Golf in Alexandra Park after school and during Sunday mornings at Royales' marital home, while his wife and children attended church.
She had listed Royales' phone number under the alias "Mr Floppy" and was warned to keep their relationship secret, highlighting the manipulative and controlling nature of his conduct.
A significant witness in the trial was David Curtis, a close friend of Royales, who admitted to suspecting the inappropriate relationship but failing to act.
Curtis, who had asked Royales to be his best man at his wedding, stated that he only decided to come forward after reading about the case in the Oldham Chronicle last year.
He expressed regret for his inaction but felt compelled to do the right thing.
The court also noted that due to recent legal changes, the Crown was unable to prosecute Royales for more serious historic sex offences, limiting the scope of the charges.
Nonetheless, the conviction and sentencing mark a significant moment in the pursuit of justice for victims of childhood abuse, especially in cases where the abuse occurred many years prior.
