ALAN TOMKINS SHOCKING CRIME IN TORRINGTON: VICTIM'S LONG STRUGGLE WITH JUSTICE AND REVELATIONS FROM THE PAST

In December 1996, a deeply distressing case unfolded involving Alan Tomkins, a man whose actions have left a lasting scar on the community of Torrington. The story is one of a long and painful journey through childhood trauma, failed justice, and finally, a court conviction that brought some measure of relief to a victim who endured years of suffering.

Last week, at Exeter Crown Court, Alan Tomkins, aged 33, was sentenced to a prison term of up to ten years after being found guilty of subjecting three teenage girls to a series of horrifying crimes, including kidnapping, rape, sexual assault, harassment, and stalking. The conviction marked a significant moment in a case that spanned over a decade, revealing the extent of Tomkins' disturbing behavior and the tragic consequences for his victims.

The victim, now an 18-year-old college student, recounted her ordeal publicly for the first time, her voice trembling with emotion. She described a childhood marred by tears and betrayal, beginning with her first encounter with Tomkins in 1984, when she was just six years old. At that time, Tomkins was a neighbor of her parents in Torrington, and it was during this period that he was first discovered to have been secretly abusing her.

Despite serving only half of a six-month sentence for his initial offense, Tomkins was allowed to return to his home just a few yards from the victim’s residence. This decision proved catastrophic, as he continued to terrorize her through followings from school, leering at her in public, making threatening gestures, and, on one horrifying occasion, sexually abusing her in her own bedroom to demonstrate that she was not safe anywhere.

Today, the young woman is determined to rebuild her life, but the trauma still lingers. She expressed her anguish, saying, “It seems like I have spent most of my childhood in tears,” as she revealed her painful history for the first time. She voiced her frustration with the justice system, feeling betrayed by a system that allowed her abuser to return and continue his harassment for over a decade. “If something had been done about him all those years ago — if the seriousness of his perversion had been recognized and he had been treated for it — he would never have spent 12 years stalking me and ruining my life,” she lamented.

Her fears intensified when she saw Tomkins just two days before he abducted other children. She described sensing that he was “up to something,” noting the sinister look in his eyes. “I just wish there was some way I could have stopped him,” she said, her voice filled with regret. The memories flooded back as she realized he was now harming others, just as he had once harmed her.

The sense of betrayal by the authorities—courts, police, and social workers—who appeared to prioritize the rights of a sex offender over the safety of an abused child—adds to her anguish. Her parents, who had once trusted Tomkins, now carry the burden of guilt. Before his initial arrest, Tomkins and his wife Nina were close friends of the family, often babysitting for them and socializing regularly. Tomkins was even the godfather to the family’s youngest son.

Shockingly, after Tomkins was released from jail, social workers attempted to reconcile the two families, despite the family’s clear desire to sever all ties with him. The family wanted nothing more to do with the man who had deceived them into trusting him, and Tomkins showed no signs of remorse or change. Almost immediately, he resumed his obsessive stalking and abuse of the victim.

Joanne, the victim, recalls how Tomkins would drive slowly past her in his car when she went to school and would walk up and down outside the school gates, staring at her. She reported these incidents to the police, but they were unable to take action because he had not physically touched her at that point. She described how he would follow her during band performances, walking alongside her during marches at local events like May Day and festivals, always fixated on her with those unsettling eyes. Her fear grew daily, and her tears became a constant.

The victim’s parents also suffered from the fallout, becoming targets of malicious gossip suggesting they condoned or overlooked the abuse. Her mother expressed her anguish, saying, “I ask any parent to try to imagine what it is like for their daughter to be molested like this. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.” She called for the judiciary to impose longer sentences, emphasizing the lifelong impact on her daughter. “We have to sit and watch the effects on our lovely daughter. It is with her for life. Of course, I am terribly, terribly angry.”

Once a happy child, the victim’s family album now shows her as a girl with a bright smile, but she now hides her appearance, avoiding attention by wearing plain clothes and no makeup. She struggles with trust and believes she will never have a happy relationship with a man. A devout Methodist, she shared her ongoing efforts to forgive but admitted she would never forget her trauma. “I don’t know if Tomkins will end up in hell. All I hope is that wherever he ends up, I am on the other side,” she said.

Joanne, who aspires to become a chef, is committed to preventing others from suffering as she has. She explained her motivation for speaking out, stating, “I know people must wonder why on earth I have come forward to speak of what has happened to me. I don’t want sympathy and I don’t want anybody to feel sorry for me. I just hope that by talking about my experience, somebody who has the power to change things will do something to stop it from ever happening to anyone again.”

Only through such courage and honesty, she hopes, can she begin to emerge from the shadow cast by the man who destroyed her childhood and her sense of safety.