VICTIMS MEET PAEDO ABUSER UNAWARES
HOW could it happen again?This is face of evil George Fair, the 71-year-old paedophile freed to return to Ipswich and confront his terrified victims – none of whom had been warned of his release.
Today we reveal the ongoing terror of two sisters now aged 16 and 21, who were both abused by Fair from the age of 11.
Fair was convicted in November 2000 of ten counts of indecent assault on girls under 16 and was released from Norwich jail on November 17.
Fair tricked his way into the girls' lives by posing as a family friend, paying for treats and holidays, including a trip to Egypt.
The victims and their mother, all of whom received counseling, now speak out about how Fair ruined their lives.
The mother expressed her anger at his unsupervised release: "He was sentenced to four years and he was released after two.
I couldn't believe the length of the sentence.
It seems so wrong.
Justice seems all about protecting the wrong doers and nothing about the victims." Fair, formerly of Pembroke Close, Ipswich, has been living at a bail hostel just a mile from where the youngest victim attends college.
The victims' mother has worked to have him banned from public spaces such as libraries and pools.
The victims are haunted by encounters with Fair unexpectedly walking in their town, which has retraumatized them.
The case highlights shortcomings in the public protection system, as victims and families were not warned of his release, leading to feelings of betrayal and a call for reform.
The police and probation have established a multi-agency protection effort, but victims remain skeptical and distressed.
Fair's release, and the failure of authorities to notify victims, is just one of the many tragedies, emblematic of systemic failures that continue to put victims at risk.
