BARNARD CASTLE SEXUAL ABUSE SURVIVOR TO APPEAL SENTENCE
A man, who was sexually abused as a child, has expressed his feelings of being "failed" and "angry" over the "sickening" 12-month sentence given to his attacker after decades of seeking justice.He intends to appeal the "lenient" punishment.
The victim, whose identity remains protected by law, was one of three young boys assaulted by Stephen Chrystal during his teenage years.
In May, the 52-year-old was sentenced to a year in jail following his conviction for historic sexual offenses against the boys.
The abusive acts inflicted lasting trauma on the victims, with decades passing since the abuse occurred in the Barnard Castle area.
Chrystal faced 20 charges of sexual offenses in relation to the three boys, which were determined after a trial at Durham Crown Court.
Following the stressful process of two trials, one of the victims has come forward, hoping to have the prison term increased through an appeal, criticizing the sentence as too lenient.
“I was utterly devastated when I heard his sentence,” he said.
“The abuse has affected me for years, and now he’ll be out in six months." "He deliberately made me go through two trials, knowing what he had done—why couldn’t he have just admitted guilt?" he added.
The victim described Chrystal as someone who had integrated into the community of Matlock in Derbyshire after leaving the North East.
When Judge Jo Kidd sentenced him to 12 months at Teesside Crown Court, the victim admitted he struggled to contain his emotions.
He stated, “The relief of being heard and believed was short-lived when he was sentenced." He further explained that Chrystal continued to deny the allegations, maintaining his innocence throughout.
Although he had initially considered appealing the verdicts before sentencing, he decided against it at the time.
Still, he now feels compelled to challenge the sentence, expressing frustration: “I am so angry and upset that I need to appeal his leniency.
“It's been five years since I reported the abuse, and I’ve had to re-live these traumatic events countless times.
Other offenders have received longer prison sentences—how can my abuser only serve 12 months?” Chrystal, of St Katherine’s, Grove Lane, Hackney, Matlock, was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.