Victim of ex-detective sex attacker 'felt failed' by system

A pistillate sexually assaulted by a erstwhile constabulary serviceman portion helium was connected bail has told the BBC she was failed by the constabulary and the courts.

She spoke retired arsenic her attacker, Dominic O'Brien, was jailed for 3 years.

The erstwhile Sussex Police detective inspector, 55, was convicted of 4 counts of intersexual battle against her.

In an interrogation with BBC News, his victim, Lia Dumbrill, waived the anonymity victims of intersexual crimes are entitled to.

Lia, who was 16 years aged erstwhile she was assaulted, said: "It conscionable sickens maine that he's been capable to get distant with it for truthful long."

O'Brien assaulted her successful 2019 portion helium was connected bail for different intersexual offence.

Two years prior, helium had been caught by an undercover Leicestershire constabulary serviceman sending intersexual messages online astir wanting to rape an 11-year-old girl.

He was fixed a six-month suspended condemnation for that transgression successful 2020.

But his offending stretched backmost adjacent further.

In 2006 O'Brien was a detective inspector with Sussex Police. He was suspended from the unit implicit intersexual messages helium sent to the 14-year-old girl of a execution unfortunate whose lawsuit he'd been investigating.

Ms Dumbrill believes an accidental to halt O'Brien was missed each those years ago.

"I deliberation the constabulary were astir apt frightened to person 1 of their ain enactment into the system," she said.

"They privation to support their own... due to the fact that helium was a constabulary serviceman helium thought helium was untouchable."

She believes helium should person been dealt with overmuch earlier.

"It's frustrating, due to the fact that if they had dealt with it - past that's years of radical not having thing hap to them… My beingness would beryllium wholly different."

Despite reforms which are expected to person improved the strategy for victims, Ms Dumbrill who is present 20 years old, recovered the process starring to O'Brien's condemnation gruelling.

"It makes the unfortunate consciousness similar they're the 1 being questioned," she said. "I felt similar I was the transgression adjacent successful tribunal with the defence lawyers calling you liars and things similar that. It's horrible.

"I recognize wherefore radical don't bash it. And it's hard due to the fact that erstwhile you're going done traumatic experiences, you privation to artifact it retired arsenic overmuch arsenic you can."

In her unfortunate interaction statement, Ms Dumbrill described however the trauma of the assaults had led to her dropping retired of assemblage and leaving her section area.

"I would person panic attacks erstwhile I saw older males astir the college," she said. "The panic attacks became truthful predominant I would person to permission my lessons."

But she feels vindicated aft what she believes are the erstwhile failures to enactment O'Brien successful prison.

"I'm gladsome that I managed to get him convicted. I'm gladsome that I managed to halt him, truthful galore radical didn't.

"Grown adults saw what helium was doing and near it unsocial whereas maine arsenic the kid had to determine to instrumentality it further…That's the archetypal and foremost important happening is that helium didn't get distant with it this time."

During the sentencing astatine Brighton Crown Court, Judge David Rennie referred to O'Brien's erstwhile relation arsenic a constabulary officer, saying his clip successful the constabulary meant helium understood "better than most" the trauma of intersexual assault.

"You saw her arsenic a plaything from whom you could get immoderate kicks," helium said. "Your superior erstwhile condemnation and her evident vulnerability are aggravating factors."

In a connection Sussex Police said: "Dominic O'Brien resigned from Sussex Police 15 years agone whilst nether investigation.

"The allegations made against him were afloat investigated astatine the time, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) determined that determination would beryllium nary transgression prosecution.

"Police officers who maltreatment their presumption of spot person nary spot successful policing and we are committed to proactively rooting them retired and ensuring victims consciousness assured to travel forward."

If you person been affected by the issues raised successful this story, accusation and enactment tin beryllium recovered via BBC Action Line.