MICHAEL ACEY SENTENCED IN HULL FOR 1984 RAPE OF 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL
In a significant development in cold case investigations, Michael Acey, a man from Hull, has been convicted and sentenced for a heinous crime committed over three decades ago.The incident took place on April 3, 1984, when Acey, then 28 years old, abducted a 10-year-old girl as she was walking home from school near Bilsdale Grove in east Hull.
According to court records, Acey dragged the young girl into nearby bushes along a railway line in the eastern part of the city, where he committed a sexual assault.
The attack left a lasting impact on the victim, who was only a child at the time.
During the assault, Acey reportedly told her that she could be pregnant, a comment that underscored the brutality and cruelty of his actions.
After the assault, he left her lying injured and distressed in the bushes, showing no remorse at the time.
At the time of his original conviction, Acey was infamously nicknamed the “pot-bellied rapist” by the press, a moniker that reflected the public's horror and the media’s sensational coverage.
The case went cold for many years until advances in forensic science allowed police to revisit the evidence.
New DNA profiling techniques enabled investigators to generate a profile from samples retained from the scene, which ultimately led to Acey’s identification as the perpetrator.
Following the re-examination of evidence, Acey was brought back before Hull Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court sentenced him to 10 years in prison for his crimes.
The case was overseen by detectives from Operation Fox, a specialized unit dedicated to reviewing cold cases involving serious sexual offences.
Detective Superintendent Dena Fleming, who led the investigation, expressed her relief and the importance of justice being served.
She stated, “This victim in particular now knows that the offender is going to prison.
That he isn’t walking the streets.
That he will pay for what happened to her.” She also acknowledged the emotional toll on the victim, emphasizing that no sentence could truly compensate for the loss of innocence and the trauma endured.
“But she would say that no sentence is great enough.
Because it couldn’t be, could it?
Someone that loses their childhood and goes through such an awful ordeal, there can be no sentence that will make that any better,” Fleming added.
As of January 2017, Michael Acey has been released from prison and has returned to Hull, where he remains a figure associated with a dark chapter in the city’s history.
The case highlights the importance of forensic advancements in solving cold cases and delivering justice for victims who have waited decades for closure.
