A woman who was repeatedly raped by both her father and her brother has revealed how her abusive parent told doctors she had ‘fallen on a go-cart’ when she had to undergo emergency surgery to repair internal damage.
Sarah Sidebottom, 54, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was raped and sexually abused by her father, Arthur William Bowditch, and her brother, Arthur Stephen Bowditch. They have since been jailed for a total of 32 years.
The first attack, which occurred when Sarah was just three and a half years old, left her needing surgery to repair internal damage. It was these hospital notes which proved crucial in securing a conviction for the abuse, which began almost 50 years go.
Sarah, now happily married and a mum of two and a grandmother, has spoken of her appalling trauma and her plans to change the justice system going forwards. Her book ‘The Letter’ is released today.
She says: ‘I had no idea about the surgery until 2021, and I saw my medical records. I was horrified, but at the same time, this was exactly what the prosecution needed to build a case against my father.
‘After staying silent for nearly 50 years, part of my healing process is having a voice and speaking out. I now sit on forums to advise both the police and CPS of the best way of helping victims of sexual abuse. I want the system to change for the better.’
Her first memory of the abuse is aged three and a half years, when she was taken from her bed, put in her father’s bed, and raped.
She says: ‘I remember the pain but more than anything I remember his hand clamped over my mouth to stifle my screams.’
She was so badly injured by the assault, which took place in Chard, Somerset, that she required surgery and was released from hospital on her fourth birthday. Her father had told doctors she had fallen onto the handle of a go-cart.
Sarah says: ‘My father left me alone for two years, and the attacks started again when I was around 6.
‘By this time we were living in Alford, Somerset. Every time my mother was out, he took the opportunity to assault and rape me.
‘He used objects on me; one was a wooden object, a wooden handle of a spade. He assaulted me in the stables at the side of the bungalow where we had horses.
‘There were two sides to him. He could be very charming and was a big character, he was a builder and well-known locally in Somerset. But at home he was very violent and twisted.
‘Once, when he told me to go to his bedroom, I said no. I was around 10 years old. He pulled me off the sofa by my hair and kicked me all the way to the bedroom.
‘He was choking me on the bed and I asked him to kill me, to put me out my misery. After he had gone, I tried to smother myself with the pillow. I just wanted it all to end. It was the last time I ever dared to try to stand up to him.
‘He had guns in the garage, and he told me if I ever spoke out about the abuse, he would shoot me or he’d shoot my mother.’
Her parents separated when she was 13, and Sarah believed this was the end of her nightmare. Her older brother, Arthur Stephen, known as Stephen, went to live with his father.
When she was 15, Stephen, then 17, came to live with them, and he raped her.
Sarah says: ‘I couldn’t believe it was happening again. Stephen raped me and it was horrendous.’
Sarah did not tell anyone about the abuse and instead tried to get on with her life. She went on to have two daughters, and did office work and hospitality, but was plagued by memories of the attacks.
She says: ‘I loved being a mum, but my first marriage didn’t work out. I struggled with relationships. I was very artistic, I had lots I wanted to do with my life, but the trauma held me back.’
It was only in 2019, with the support of her new husband, Darren, 56, that Sarah made an official complaint.
In October 2021, to her horror, she was shown a copy of her medical records, including details of the surgery to repair internal damage from the rape.
Sarah says: ‘I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I had no memory of going into hospital, no memory at all of the operation. I have scarring down below, but I never really thought of it in connection with the sexual abuse.
‘The police told me the letter was vital in the decision to bring charges against my father and brother.
‘I wasn’t allowed to ask my mother about the surgery, in case it prejudiced the trial. But she sadly died, just before the trial began, so I never got the chance to talk to her about it. I felt cheated. I have so many unanswered questions.’
The police investigation did not go smoothly, and Sarah says officers told her they had lost her files, meaning the case was delayed by seven months.
She says: ‘I didn’t hear anything, month after month. Then I was told my file had been lost. I asked to be kept up to date with the progress, and yet it was me chasing the police, all the time.
‘I didn’t really feel they tried to empathise with how stressful it was for me. I had flashbacks to the abuse and nightmares, where I tried to fight them off, and woke with real bruises.’
In June 2022, Arthur William Bowditch, 73, and his son Arthur Stephen Bowditch, then aged 54, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, having previously been convicted of multiple counts of rape and indecent assaults against young girls.
The court heard Bowditch junior has a previous conviction from 1989 for indecent assaults of a girl under 14.
Judge Huw Rees said the defendants’ victims had been ‘denied a childhood’ by their actions, and he said the statements from the women had been ‘harrowing’ to listen to. He said it was clear the abuse inflicted by the defendants had profoundly affected the women.
The judge said William Bowditch had acted out of ‘degenerate and unhealthy sexual lust’.
William Bowditch was given a 21-year extended sentence comprising 20 years in custody followed by a one-year extended licence. Stephen Bowditch was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Both will be registered sex offenders for the rest of their lives.
Sarah says: ‘I feel some justice that they are finally behind bars and other girls are now safe from them.
‘I’ve had a lot of support from my family, especially my step-daughter, Eleesha, and my husband, Darren, who is trustee for a charity which helps army veterans. We’ve even been to a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
‘My beloved German Shepherd, Kayla, is my best friend. She has helped me through some really dark times in my life and pulled me back from the brink.
‘I have been diagnosed with PTSD and Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder, because of the abuse, the stress of the investigation and the trial.
‘But no matter how difficult it is to report this type of crime, I want other victims to know that you can get justice.
‘Don’t be afraid or ashamed, please come forward to report abuse. It is possible to get justice, no matter how long you have carried these secrets around.’
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, Women’s Aid offers support via live chat, email and over the telephone. Visit womensaid.org.uk for more information.
