CYRIL SHERWIN FROM SOUTH SHIELDS AND WASHINGTON SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILD

In June 2004, a distressing case involving Cyril Sherwin, a man from South Shields, has sparked outrage and calls for harsher sentencing for sex offenders. Sherwin, aged 52, was convicted of indecently assaulting a young girl in Washington over a decade ago. The assault took place when the girl was only 12 years old, leaving her traumatized and seeking justice many years later.

Sherwin, residing on Drummond Crescent in South Shields, initially faced eight separate allegations of sexual misconduct related to the same girl. However, during the legal proceedings, prosecutors decided to drop seven of these charges after Sherwin pleaded guilty to a single count of indecent assault. This plea was made with the understanding that the victim was consulted and had agreed to this course of action, which allowed her to avoid giving evidence in court. The case was heard at Newcastle Crown Court, where the judge sentenced Sherwin to three years in prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years.

Despite the legal outcome, the victim, who is now a single mother living in Gateshead, expressed her dissatisfaction with the sentence. She voiced her feelings publicly, stating, "I’m thrilled that at last he’s been sentenced. It’s a great feeling that I’ve finally got some kind of closure. But I don’t think three years is enough. I would have preferred a longer sentence. For what he put me through he deserved much more than that. I would have put him away for life but I didn’t really expect a court to do that."

She also reflected on the emotional toll the ordeal has taken on her, saying, "It’s been a very stressful time since I went to the police, and I was still prepared to give evidence against him on all the charges." The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, shared her ongoing struggles, revealing, "Whenever I have a relationship now, what happened to me comes back to haunt me. I was only a child when he started abusing me. At the time I was too young to be aware of what was going on. I hope I will get over it. It’s always at the back of my mind. I’d like to think it will all go away, but at the moment I don’t think it will."

She recounted how the abuse only came to light when she was 12, after another witness observed the incident. She explained her initial reluctance to speak out, saying, "I wanted to tell people what was going on but it’s not the type of thing you tell others about." It was only last year that she decided to approach the police, motivated by a desire for closure and justice. "I suppose I also wanted revenge," she admitted. She emphasized her willingness to testify in court, despite the emotional difficulty, stating, "He admitted the one charge because it was the only one witnessed by someone else. The others would have been my word against his. I think people in my position should speak out about it and tell others not to keep it to themselves for years."

Overall, the case has reignited debates about the adequacy of sentencing for sexual offenses and the importance of supporting victims through their healing process.