JOHN FOX FROM ABERDEEN SENTENCED FOR DECADES OF ABUSE AND RAPE IN ABERDEENSHIRE
In a case that spanned over two decades, John Fox, a man from Aberdeen, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for a series of heinous crimes involving physical and sexual violence against multiple women and children across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.The offences, which occurred between 1985 and the mid-2000s, included a disturbing pattern of brutality, sexual assault, and abuse that left a lasting impact on his victims.
Fox was found guilty on a total of 21 charges, encompassing both physical assaults and sexual offences.
Among these charges were two counts of rape involving one woman, and four counts of rape against a second woman.
Notably, one of these rapes was committed while the victim was pregnant, highlighting the severity and depravity of his actions.
The court also ordered Fox to be placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely, reflecting the high risk he poses for future offending.
The earliest recorded offence took place in 1985, when Fox attacked his first victim by punching and throttling her.
He then restrained her and raped her at a residence in Aberdeen.
His violent tendencies extended beyond sexual assault; he also inflicted physical harm on children and women, including slapping, punching, and kicking.
One young girl, just four years old, was subjected to slaps and punches, and was even lifted off the ground by her neck and held against a door.
Another girl, aged three, was also assaulted with slaps, punches, and a thrown knife that struck her body.
A third child, also aged three, was physically abused with slaps, punches, and kicks, and his neck was grabbed and squeezed during an attack.
In 1991, Fox throttled a woman and pushed his knee against her pregnant stomach.
Two years later, he assaulted a third woman repeatedly, punching and slapping her, kicking her, and eventually forcing her onto a bed where he raped her.
He later committed another rape against her while she was pregnant.
During this period, he also carried out an indecent assault on her, ignoring her pleas for him to stop, and attacked her while she was holding a baby.
During this assault, he grabbed her head and struck it against a door, causing her and the child to hit the door as well.
The final known offence occurred in April 2002, when Fox attacked a 14-year-old boy at a house in the Kingswells area.
The assault involved throttling the teenager by the neck, stamping on his head, and punching him in the face and body.
These violent acts culminated in a brutal attack that left a lasting scar on the victim.
During the sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Lord Uist described Fox’s conduct as “atrocious and sometimes cruel,” emphasizing that the punishment was a reflection of the severity of his crimes against three women and three children.
The judge stated, “You now have to pay the price for the deplorable crimes you committed all those years ago.” Police Scotland expressed their support for the sentence, praising the bravery of Fox’s victims in coming forward and sharing their experiences.
Their testimonies enabled investigators to gather further evidence, identify additional victims, and build a comprehensive picture of Fox’s offending behaviour.
The police highlighted the importance of victim courage in achieving justice and ensuring that offenders like Fox are held accountable for their actions.
