SUSAN BRAMWELL FROM ENDMOOR JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE IN RIPON, NORTH YORKSHIRE

In a case that has shocked the local community, Susan Mary Bramwell, a woman originally known by her maiden name Ackernley, has been sentenced to prison for her involvement in the sexual abuse of a young boy during the early 1980s. The incident took place while Bramwell was employed as a school matron at a school located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, a position that gave her access to vulnerable students.

Over a period of approximately six months, spanning parts of 1982 and 1983, Bramwell engaged in grooming and abusing a 12-year-old boy. The abuse was carried out in her private quarters within the school premises, where she would have the young boy in her room at night, exploiting her position of authority and trust. The gravity of her actions was revealed during her court proceedings, where she pleaded guilty to two counts of gross indecency and two counts of indecent assault involving a boy under the age of 14.

At York Crown Court on a Friday, the 58-year-old woman was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. Additionally, she was ordered to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life, a measure that underscores the severity of her crimes and the ongoing risk she poses to the community.

Bramwell, who resides in Endmoor, Cumbria, was arrested at her home on April 24 following a police investigation. The inquiry was initiated after the victim, who had kept his traumatic experience largely to himself for many years, finally confided in his wife in 2000. Prior to this, he had only shared his ordeal with a select few close friends and family members.

The victim’s decision to come forward was further prompted by reading a news report about a similar case, which led him to contact North Yorkshire Police in February 2018. A year later, he formally lodged a complaint, prompting a comprehensive investigation by the force’s Non-Recent Abuse Investigation Team, led by Detective Constable Ali Morris. The investigation culminated in Bramwell’s arrest and subsequent court appearance, bringing a long-overdue sense of justice to the victim and the community.