The two rapists, Neil Willis and Anthony Douglas, were living in Peterlee, County Durham, at the time of the abuse, with Neil Willis, formerly known as Neil Blenkinsop, aged between 14 and 17, and Douglas aged 19 to 20.
“Speak to police – you will be believed, and it will be investigated. It doesn’t matter if it was four years or 40 years ago, just say something and get the justice you deserve.”
These are the statements of a rape survivor who, this week, witnessed her assailants sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison.
The victim attended primary school in the 1980s when she was raped and sexually assaulted by Neil Willis and Anthony Douglas.
Neil Willis and Anthony Douglas also sexually exploited a juvenile, while Willis additionally raped two more minors.
Their misconduct was revealed when one of the boys, now an adult, reported the incident to the police in 2019.
Durham Constabulary initiated an inquiry, resulting in three additional survivors coming forward to report their abuse, leading to the couple being charged with several sexual offences.
Neil Willis, 57 years old, acknowledged certain counts and was convicted of others, including rape, indecent assault, buggery, and gross indecency with a minor, after a two-and-a-half-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this year.
Anthony Douglas refuted all allegations; however, the 58-year-old was convicted of many charges including rape, indecent assault, and gross indecency involving a minor.
Neil Willis and Anthony Douglas were present at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday (July 14) for sentencing; Neil Willis, from Ealing, London, received a 13-year prison term, while Anthony Douglas, from Hartlepool, was sentenced to 16 years with an additional one-year extended license.
Neil Willis and Anthony Douglas were additionally registered as sex offenders for life.
In a compelling victim impact statement presented in court, one of the survivors asserted that Neil Willis and Anthony Douglas had irrevocably altered her life.
“No child should ever have to live through what they did to us. You shouldn’t have to live with this for 40 years before you have the strength to talk about it,” she said.
“I would never have ever told anyone; I only came out with what happened to me because another survivor had the strength to tell the police what happened to him.
“When I got the phone call telling me they had been found guilty, I just remember thinking: “They believe us.” They listened to us, and they believed us.
“I wish that no one has to go through what we’ve gone through. I hope Tony and Neil now feel as scared as we were every day.”
She added: “I am massively grateful to the police for all of the work that’s gone into this case to get it to court – I can’t thank them enough.
“If there’s anyone in the position that we were in, I would tell them to go forward, say something to someone. See if you can find support and pluck up the courage.
“It is hard but it’s worth it. We’ve proved that you can get justice and if there’s anyone in that situation, just know you aren’t on your own – you never were and never will be.”
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