ALEXANDER DUNCAN'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN ABERDEEN AND FORT WILLIAM: SEX OFFENDER'S SENTENCE SLASHED

In a case that has shocked the communities of Aberdeen and Fort William, Alexander Duncan, a 55-year-old man with a disturbing history of sexual offenses, has seen his prison sentence significantly reduced after an appeal. Duncan, who was known to have committed a series of heinous crimes spanning over 17 years, was originally sentenced to 13 years in prison by Judge Lord Wheatley. The judge described the case as 'truly horrible' and emphasized the severity of Duncan’s actions.

However, during the hearing before the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh, it was revealed that Judge Wheatley had made an error regarding the maximum permissible sentences for some of the offenses. As a result, Duncan’s sentence was reduced by three years, a decision that has sparked considerable controversy and outrage.

Details of Duncan’s crimes are deeply disturbing. The offences involved multiple young girls, with the earliest abuse beginning when the victims were as young as four years old. One girl, who was only four at the time, endured almost nightly abuse from Duncan, which eventually drove her to the brink of suicide. Despite her and her sister’s efforts to protect themselves—such as sleeping in each other's beds and the sister wearing pajamas instead of a nightie—the assaults persisted. Their mother even took the drastic step of fitting locks on their bedroom doors in an attempt to keep Duncan out.

Throughout the investigation, Duncan faced a total of 19 child sex charges involving seven young girls. These charges included rape, but he ultimately admitted to 12 sexual offenses against three victims. The Crown accepted his not guilty pleas to the more serious allegations of rape and assault with intent to rape, which he did not contest.

The abuse reportedly began in Fort William when Duncan’s first victim was approximately seven or eight years old. The assaults occurred two to three times weekly and continued for about six years. The young girl tried to find ways to escape the torment, such as taking her younger brother into her bed and wearing pajamas instead of a nightie, but Duncan persisted. The abuse ceased only when Duncan moved to Aberdeen, where he began targeting other children, including a girl who was just six years old at the time.

Another victim, who suffered severe emotional trauma, experienced a nervous breakdown and had been self-harming since she was 12 years old. Duncan’s more serious charges of rape and assault with intent to rape were accepted as not guilty pleas, further complicating the case.

During the appeal, Judge Lord Nimmo Smith commented on Duncan’s actions, stating that he had used the girls to gratify himself sexually. The case has left a lasting scar on the victims and their families, and the reduction in Duncan’s sentence has been met with widespread criticism from those who believe justice has not been fully served.