TORTURE …..3 WIDE-EYED AND APPREH
TORTURE .
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3
WIDE-EYED AND APPREHENSIVE, THE TWO CURLY HAIRED GIRLS
FACED WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN AN AGONISING ORDEAL
NEITHER OF THEM HAD SEEN THEIR PARENTS SINCE THEY WERE
TAKEN INTO CARE MONTHS AGO.
BUT THERE WAS MUMMY AND DADDY SITTING
IN THE DOCK OF A COURT ROOM SURROUNDED BY POLICE AND MEN AND WOMEN IN
STRANGE BLACK ROBES AND WIGS.
IT WAS ALL TOO MUCH FOR THE YOUNGER OF THE GIRLS.
AFTER
STRUGGLING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, SHE SUDDENLY BURST INTO A TORRENT OF
SOBS.
THE JUDGE, RECORDER ROBERT HARMAN QC, IMMEDIATELY ASKED HER
IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO GO AWAY FOR A DRINK OF WATER AND COME BACK
LATER.
BUT THE EIGHT YEAR OLD, HER FACE STREAKED WITH TEARS,
WHISPERED TO THE COURT USHER ‘I WANT TO GET IT OVER WITH.
‘
EVERYBODY IN COURT DID ALL THEY COULD TO PUT THE LITTLE
ONE AT EASE AND AFTER HER TEARS SHE SEEMED MORE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE
QUESTIONS.
HER OLDER SISTER WAS LESS OUTWARDLY AFFECTED BY THE DRAMA
OF THE OCCASION.
BETWEEN QUESTIONS, SHE SAT LOOKING AROUND THE
COURT AND FREQUENTLY TOWARDS HER MOTHER AND FATHER.
SHE WAS THE FIRST TO GIVE EVIDENCE.
SHE, LIKE HER SISTER
AFTERWARDS, WAS LED IN HOLDING THE HAND OF A WOMAN USHER AND SHE
WAS ALLOWED TO SIT IN A CHAIR IN THE WELL OF THE COURT RATHER THAN GO
INTO THE WITNESS BOX, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN TOO HIGH FOR HER
TO SEE OVER IN ANY CASE.
BOTH GIRLS, WHO WERE TINY FOR THEIR AGES, WERE SMARTLY
DRESSED.
THE OLDER GIRL HAD HER PIGTAILS TIED WITH RED RIBBON,
WHILE HER YOUNGER SISTER WORE A YELLOW BAND TO KEEP HER CURLS IN
PLACE.
THE YOUNGER GIRL WORE A PINK SKIRT AND BLUE ANORAK AND HER
SISTER HAD ON A CANDY STRIPED DRESS WITH WHITE BOBBY SOCKS AND PINK
SHOES.
THE KINDLY JUDGE DID ALL HE COULD TO MAKE THEIR ORDEAL LESS
FRIGHTENING.
SMILING, HE ASKED THE TEN YEAR OLD: ‘DO YOU BELIEVE IN
JESUS ?’
‘YES,’ SHE WHISPERED.
‘AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT TELLING THE TRUTH MEANS ?’ – ‘YES’
WHEN IT CAME TO THE EIGHT YEAR OLD’S TURN TO GIVE EVIDENCE,
SHE KEPT DROPPING HER VOICE .
‘WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO IS TO PRETEND YOU ARE IN THE
PLAYGROUND OR AT THE BACK OF THE CLASS TRYING TO TALK TO TEACHER,’
SAID THE JUDGE.
‘OR TRY TO IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE SHOUTING TO A
FRIEND.
WE MUST HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
‘
THE TEN YEAR OLD GIRL TALKED NERVOUSLY BUT POSITIVELY ABOUT
HER BEATINGS AT THE HANDS OF HER FATHER AND MOTHER.
IT WAS WHEN HER
YOUNGER SISTER WAS ASKED ‘WERE YOU AFRAID OF DADDY?’ THAT THE TEARS
CAME.
THROUGHOUT THE COURT DRAMA NEITHER PARENT SHOWED ANY
FLICKER OF EMOTION AS THE CATALOGUE OF BEATINGS WAS OUTLINED BY THEIR
DAUGHTERS.
THE TWO GIRLS HAD TO GO THROUGH THE TORMENT OF RECALLING
THEIR HOME LIFE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE CHIEF PROSECUTION WITNESSES.
IT IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR CHILDREN OF THEIR AGE TO BE BROUGHT TO A
CRIMINAL COURT AND DOUBLY RARE FOR CHILDREN TO BE ASKED TO GIVE
DAMNING EVIDENCE AGAINST THEIR PARENTS.
ENDS ADD
