EDINBURGH PERVERT DOUGLAS ASHALL FACES RETURN TO JAIL FOR DECADES OF ABUSE
In a disturbing case that has spanned over three decades, Douglas Ashall, a 57-year-old man from Edinburgh, has admitted to heinous acts of sexual abuse against two young girls.The victims, who were as young as 11 years old at the time, endured years of suffering at the hands of Ashall, with the abuse beginning in 1974 and continuing until 1991.
Details of the case reveal that the first girl, now aged 47, was subjected to sexual misconduct at a residence in the Broomhouse area of Edinburgh.
The abuse occurred between January 1974 and December 1978, during which Ashall engaged in inappropriate and illegal acts.
The second victim, who was between 11 and 16 years old during her ordeal, was abused from January 1987 until January 1991 in the Gilmerton district of Edinburgh.
Additionally, Ashall admitted to a sexual assault on the second girl when she was 16, in 1991.
Both victims only disclosed their experiences years later, after confiding in healthcare professionals.
The revelations prompted police investigations, during which Ashall was interviewed and subsequently confessed to the crimes.
His arrest took place in May of the previous year, following the discovery of hundreds of child abuse images in his possession.
Ashall, who is a father of three, was initially sentenced to 18 months in prison in June last year.
However, after an appeal, his sentence was reduced to 12 months, and he served only six months before being released on a monitoring tag.
Despite his early release, Ashall’s legal troubles did not end there.
At Edinburgh Sheriff Court, he pleaded guilty to four charges of lewd and libidinous behavior, which include touching the girls’ private areas and coercing them into touching him.
The court heard that the abuse took place in private settings, with Ashall exploiting moments when no one else was present in the house to carry out his crimes.
The prosecutor, fiscal depute John Kirk, emphasized the fear and confusion experienced by the first victim, stating, “It was when Ashall was within the house, when nobody else was in the premises, that these incidents of abuse took place.
At the time she did not tell anyone about it out of fear and confusion.” Currently, Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie, QC, has deferred sentencing until next month.
Ashall remains on the sex offenders register and has been granted bail pending the next hearing.
His case has once again cast a spotlight on the long-lasting impact of childhood abuse and the importance of justice for victims who come forward after many years of silence.
