MARTHA OWENS OF SUNDERLAND SPEAKS OUT ON CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN WASHINGTON
In July 2014, a woman who was sexually abused by her mother at the age of seven has publicly called for increased efforts to combat paedophilia and protect children from abuse.Waiving her anonymity, Kelly, now 42 and residing in Washington, shared the profound and lasting trauma caused by the abuse, emphasizing the need for better support systems for vulnerable children, whom she describes as the “forgotten victims.” Kelly recounted her childhood struggle, describing how she endured the trauma silently, partly because of her mother’s complicity.
She said: “I’m coming to terms with the abuse now but I don’t know if I’ll ever come to terms with the abuser being my mum.” She noted that recent high-profile sex abuse trials, such as that of Rolf Harris, have strengthened her resolve to speak out, hoping to prevent other children from suffering in silence.
Kelly’s mother, Martha Owens, aged 63, admitted to four charges of indecent assault following her 2012 arrest.
Her stepfather, Frederick Dixon, denied the allegations and tragically took his own life on New Year’s Eve 2012.
The Newcastle Crown Court last year heard that Owens, who was then a schoolgirl, was stripped naked by her mother and watched as Dixon sexually assaulted her.
Kelly explained: “When all of this was happening to me, my mam kept telling me it was okay.
They both did.
I was a child; I didn’t understand what was happening.
Only as I grew older did I realize it wasn’t right, that it wasn’t happening to other people.” Recent revelations involving former MPs at Westminster in the 1980s and high-profile celebrity trials have stirred painful memories for Kelly.
She expressed her frustration, saying: “All too often the emphasis is on the abuser, and the victims are forgotten.
They are children and they need help and support because they often don’t understand what’s happening to them — how could they?” Kelly pointed out that her mother received a nine-month suspended sentence for her part, while she feels she received a “life sentence.” Reflecting on her childhood, she shared: “Growing up, I couldn’t wear certain clothes, no make-up, no perfume — it was his way of making sure no one else would look at me.
When I asked my mother about what he was doing, she’d just say ‘he’s doing it because he loves you,’ and I believed her.
I know it was him who abused me, but it would never have happened if it wasn’t for her.” Kelly advocates for increased education and support at early stages for children affected by abuse.
Her plea comes as Children’s Commissioner Maggie Atkinson, a former director of Children’s Services at Gateshead Council, announced a two-year national inquiry into sexual abuse within family environments.
She stated: “Most of our children are raised in secure, loving homes, but I’m sure many of us will be disturbed by how much abuse within families goes unreported and how little is done to support the children who suffer.” Kelly, after years of counseling, finally found the strength to speak out about her family’s abuse.
The court was told that Owens did not commit the offences for her own sexual gratification but out of a desire “not to cross” Dixon.
Judge Paul Sloan QC sentenced Martha Owens, of Goodwood Road, Grindon, Sunderland, to nine months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
