KIRKBY PAEDOPHILE RONALD PETERS SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE
| Red Rose Database
Kirkby Child Sexual Abuser
In August 2018, a woman who endured years of sexual abuse at the hands of her uncle, Ronald Peters, from Kirkby, courageously shared her harrowing story. Her account reveals a pattern of predatory behavior that spanned over a decade, beginning when she was just 11 years old.
Debbie Pennington, who has chosen to waive her right to anonymity, recounted how her uncle would exhibit disturbing behavior in front of her unaware parents. She described how Peters would lick his lips while looking at her, a gesture that made her feel deeply uncomfortable. She explained, “I would be sat there with my parents and he would look over and lick his lips at me. He knew my parents couldn’t see him, but it gave him pleasure and a thrill to know how uncomfortable and panicked it made me.”
The 53-year-old mother of two detailed how Peters would call her ‘sexy’ and attempt to touch her at every opportunity, whether it was an arm around her shoulder or a stroke of her leg. Her ordeal escalated when, at age 13, she was sexually assaulted by Peters for the first time while babysitting his three children. Debbie described the circumstances vividly, saying, “My auntie and uncle had gone out for some sort of occasion and I was babysitting my three cousins. They were late coming home and returned with some friends, putting on music and preparing food. My uncle sat on the arm of the chair where I was sitting and had his arm around me. To anyone else, it just looked like uncle affection, but I knew it wasn’t, and I felt so uneasy.”
She further revealed that during this babysitting session, Peters would subtly touch her leg, moving his hand upward when her family was momentarily distracted or when her auntie left the room. Despite her protests, he continued to offer her drinks, including Bacardi and coke, which she drank half of, even though she repeatedly refused. Debbie now understands that his intention was to make her tipsy. Later that night, as she was about to fall asleep in a spare room, Peters entered, got into the bed, and silenced her with his hand over her mouth, whispering “shhh.”
What followed was a traumatic experience for Debbie, who described how Peters performed two separate sexual acts on her during what felt like an eternity. She emphasized that he never kissed her or touched her upper body, but the acts inflicted significant pain and emotional distress. “I just had my hands at the side of me—I wish I had fought back,” she said. “It hurt so much, and I just wanted to scream. Then he got up and went into the bathroom. I felt numb. I couldn’t even cry. It almost felt like it had just happened to someone else.”
The following morning, her uncle dropped her off at home, and Debbie admitted she felt overwhelmed with guilt, avoiding her auntie out of shame. Over the subsequent years, Peters continued to exploit opportunities at family gatherings, such as Christmas, to grop her. She recounted, “At Christmas, when you greet your family, he would stick his tongue in my mouth and grope me, just after my parents had entered the house.”
The abuse took a toll on her education, causing her to perform poorly at school and eventually leading to her being moved down sets and missing her GCSE exams at 16. She tried to avoid babysitting, making excuses, but the abuse persisted in different forms. Debbie described how Peters would make sexual remarks, ask about her relationships, and suggest she should be on the pill, which she found deeply disturbing.
Even after her marriage at age 22, the abuse did not cease. Debbie explained that her uncle would still reach out, asking for lifts to the pub and attempting to touch her during visits. She felt trapped in a secret life, unable to confide fully in her new husband. When her son was three, she finally confided in her father about her uncle’s inappropriate behavior. Her father responded by confronting Peters, which, according to Debbie, resulted in her uncle ceasing his advances for a time.
Debbie endured this abuse for 16 years, suffering both mental and sexual trauma. It was not until 2016 that she found the strength to report her experiences to the police. After years of therapy and counseling, she gave evidence in court, and on August 15 of this year, Ronald Peters was convicted of two counts of indecent assault of a child under 14.
She described her emotional state during the sentencing, saying, “I didn’t sit through the trial, but I was there the day he was sentenced. I didn’t look at him; I just closed my eyes. When I did open them, I looked at the judge. My whole body was shaking, and I felt like I was going to faint. I didn’t even hear what the sentence was—I felt so sick and had to ask my husband afterward.”
Debbie expressed her disappointment with the length of Peters’ sentence, feeling it was insufficient given the severity of her suffering. “Even though the sexual abuse was horrendous, it’s everything—the build-up, the mental abuse—that has affected my life so much,” she said. She urged others who have suffered similar abuse to come forward, emphasizing that reporting is vital for justice and healing. “Even if you don’t get the outcome you want, you will feel better about yourself. The only way to move on is to report it to the police, get it off your chest, and seek justice.”
Having kept her trauma hidden for decades, Debbie now feels empowered by her decision to speak out. “I have nothing to hide now because I did nothing wrong. Speaking out has given me my power back. I’ve been the victim for too long, and if I can do this, so can others,” she concluded, highlighting her hope that her story will inspire others to break their silence and seek justice.
Debbie Pennington, who has chosen to waive her right to anonymity, recounted how her uncle would exhibit disturbing behavior in front of her unaware parents. She described how Peters would lick his lips while looking at her, a gesture that made her feel deeply uncomfortable. She explained, “I would be sat there with my parents and he would look over and lick his lips at me. He knew my parents couldn’t see him, but it gave him pleasure and a thrill to know how uncomfortable and panicked it made me.”
The 53-year-old mother of two detailed how Peters would call her ‘sexy’ and attempt to touch her at every opportunity, whether it was an arm around her shoulder or a stroke of her leg. Her ordeal escalated when, at age 13, she was sexually assaulted by Peters for the first time while babysitting his three children. Debbie described the circumstances vividly, saying, “My auntie and uncle had gone out for some sort of occasion and I was babysitting my three cousins. They were late coming home and returned with some friends, putting on music and preparing food. My uncle sat on the arm of the chair where I was sitting and had his arm around me. To anyone else, it just looked like uncle affection, but I knew it wasn’t, and I felt so uneasy.”
She further revealed that during this babysitting session, Peters would subtly touch her leg, moving his hand upward when her family was momentarily distracted or when her auntie left the room. Despite her protests, he continued to offer her drinks, including Bacardi and coke, which she drank half of, even though she repeatedly refused. Debbie now understands that his intention was to make her tipsy. Later that night, as she was about to fall asleep in a spare room, Peters entered, got into the bed, and silenced her with his hand over her mouth, whispering “shhh.”
What followed was a traumatic experience for Debbie, who described how Peters performed two separate sexual acts on her during what felt like an eternity. She emphasized that he never kissed her or touched her upper body, but the acts inflicted significant pain and emotional distress. “I just had my hands at the side of me—I wish I had fought back,” she said. “It hurt so much, and I just wanted to scream. Then he got up and went into the bathroom. I felt numb. I couldn’t even cry. It almost felt like it had just happened to someone else.”
The following morning, her uncle dropped her off at home, and Debbie admitted she felt overwhelmed with guilt, avoiding her auntie out of shame. Over the subsequent years, Peters continued to exploit opportunities at family gatherings, such as Christmas, to grop her. She recounted, “At Christmas, when you greet your family, he would stick his tongue in my mouth and grope me, just after my parents had entered the house.”
The abuse took a toll on her education, causing her to perform poorly at school and eventually leading to her being moved down sets and missing her GCSE exams at 16. She tried to avoid babysitting, making excuses, but the abuse persisted in different forms. Debbie described how Peters would make sexual remarks, ask about her relationships, and suggest she should be on the pill, which she found deeply disturbing.
Even after her marriage at age 22, the abuse did not cease. Debbie explained that her uncle would still reach out, asking for lifts to the pub and attempting to touch her during visits. She felt trapped in a secret life, unable to confide fully in her new husband. When her son was three, she finally confided in her father about her uncle’s inappropriate behavior. Her father responded by confronting Peters, which, according to Debbie, resulted in her uncle ceasing his advances for a time.
Debbie endured this abuse for 16 years, suffering both mental and sexual trauma. It was not until 2016 that she found the strength to report her experiences to the police. After years of therapy and counseling, she gave evidence in court, and on August 15 of this year, Ronald Peters was convicted of two counts of indecent assault of a child under 14.
She described her emotional state during the sentencing, saying, “I didn’t sit through the trial, but I was there the day he was sentenced. I didn’t look at him; I just closed my eyes. When I did open them, I looked at the judge. My whole body was shaking, and I felt like I was going to faint. I didn’t even hear what the sentence was—I felt so sick and had to ask my husband afterward.”
Debbie expressed her disappointment with the length of Peters’ sentence, feeling it was insufficient given the severity of her suffering. “Even though the sexual abuse was horrendous, it’s everything—the build-up, the mental abuse—that has affected my life so much,” she said. She urged others who have suffered similar abuse to come forward, emphasizing that reporting is vital for justice and healing. “Even if you don’t get the outcome you want, you will feel better about yourself. The only way to move on is to report it to the police, get it off your chest, and seek justice.”
Having kept her trauma hidden for decades, Debbie now feels empowered by her decision to speak out. “I have nothing to hide now because I did nothing wrong. Speaking out has given me my power back. I’ve been the victim for too long, and if I can do this, so can others,” she concluded, highlighting her hope that her story will inspire others to break their silence and seek justice.