TEENAGER SPEAKS OUT AFTER ANDREW SIMPSON'S PRISON SENTENCE IN BRIGHTON
In August 2012, a young woman from Brighton shared her heartbreaking story of enduring years of sexual abuse by her father, Andrew Simpson, who was subsequently sentenced to ten years in prison.Georgia, now 18, revealed that her father began abusing her between the ages of 10 and 13, often watching Disney films passively while assaulting her.
She has courageously chosen to waive her anonymity in hopes of inspiring other victims to come forward.
Last Wednesday, Simpson, aged 46, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault by penetration in Hove Crown Court.
Georgia, living with her mother Jo, described the profound impact the abusive acts have had on her, including feelings of anger, distrust towards men, and a fear of the dark.
She admitted to multiple suicide attempts, stating, "I lost my childhood, my innocence, because of him.
He made me depressed, overweight and lonely, but I am so much more than he will ever be." While she feels relief at the long sentence Simpson received, she acknowledged little solace in its ability to ease her pain.
She expressed, "I know that he can't hurt anyone else but him being in jail does not change what he did to me.
He still has a life, even in prison.
I don’t.
I no longer have his name; he is no longer legally my father.
He is nothing to me other than the man who abused me." For years, Georgia kept her suffering to herself, fearing disbelief.
The abuse first came to light in 2007 when she confided in her stepfather about being touched over her clothes by Simpson, but she withheld details and asked for charges not to be pursued at that time.
It wasn't until 2010 that she found the strength to disclose the full extent of her trauma, initially sharing with her boyfriend and later during counseling sessions.
Recently, she was able to confront Simpson in court, stare him in the eye, and tell him how he had ruined her life.
Georgia hopes her story will empower other victims to speak out.
She said, "I just hope if someone else is experiencing what I went through they will see this and it will give them the courage to say something.
I realize now that my family is the best support I can get, and I would advise anyone in a similar situation to trust those who love you.
Don’t push them away." The abuse left lasting scars.
Following Simpson’s sentencing, Georgia spoke about the ongoing trauma, saying, "I am terrified knowing that sick, perverted people look just like everyone else, that anyone I pass might be someone who could hurt me.
I feel like it will never go away.
Even though he has been jailed, I can’t shake it off.
Every time I fly off the handle or break down at work, I have to explain why.
I am constantly reliving what happened to me." The abuse occurred during visits to Simpson’s residence in Crawley, starting in 2005, and persisted at various locations until 2007, after Simpson had separated from Georgia's mother years earlier.
Simpson would often prepare Disney movies before assaulting Georgia on a bed, a signal she learned to recognize.
She shared, "I used to self-harm as a cry for help.
I would punch myself in the head and attempted to take my own life several times.
I hated my mum and stepdad and was always shouting at them.
I couldn’t even hug my younger sisters; they had no idea why." Summoning the courage to reveal her ordeal took years.
She recalled, "I was too young to fully understand what was happening but knew it wasn’t right.
I’d try to stop him by pretending to be tired or rolling over, but it didn’t always work.
He never threatened me or told me not to tell anyone, but I was so young.
I wondered, ‘Will they believe me?’" Her struggles extended into her school years, where she faked illness to avoid classes and had confrontations with teachers, feeling unsupported even after her abuse was disclosed.
She also lost contact with friends from school.
Now committed to supporting others, Georgia plans to establish a network for victims of sexual abuse and their families.
She emphasized the lack of specialized support available for her at the time, saying, "One of the hardest things was that there was virtually no dedicated help.
My abuse happened when I was a child, but I was nearly an adult when it came out.
I had to go through many different services and processes, and I want to ensure other victims are taken seriously and know where to find help."
