Victim’s relief as Cricklewood paedophile’s jail sentence is increased

The victim of a paedophile from Cricklewood has spoken of her relief after the man who sexually abused her when she was a child had his jail sentence increased.

Felipe Du, of Mascott’s Close, abused her when she was 12 years old and another child aged seven more than 20 years ago.

Du was jailed for six years on September 8 for indecently assaulting them over several years.

The Royal Court of Justice ruled with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that the sentence was ‘unduly lenient’ and increased the term by a further three years on November 22.

As reported in the Brent & Kilburn Times, the court had heard that the 69-year-old abused the girls by making it look like a game when they all lived in Harlesden in the 1980s and 90s.

The older victim, who is now in her 30’s, said: “Speaking for myself and the other victim, we have achieved something that we still can’t quite believe.

“We are both pleased and relieved that Du will serve a longer sentence of nine years for the unspeakable things he did to both of us as young children.

She added they were now on a “difficult journey” to process all they endured and spent decades trying to “unsuccessfully repress”.

She added: “It is something that will always stay with us. The NSPCC says an estimated one in 20 children is a victim of sexual abuse in the UK. This needs to change.

“Let’s help all victims of sexual abuse find it easier to recount the crimes against them.

“Let’s dispel the outdated notion that strangers pose the greatest danger to children. And let’s please open people’s minds to the very real possibility that their child is telling the truth.”

Her sister, who was in court, added: “It has been incredibly heartbreaking to witness the suffering my sister has endured over the years due to this man’s appalling crimes. She and the other victim were robbed of their childhoods and went through an ordeal no child ever should.

“Whilst no sentence will ever compensate for the immeasurable damage caused, we are very pleased that the Court of Appeal found the original sentence to be unduly lenient and did not reflect the seriousness nor repeated nature of the offences.”