ANDREW TURNER ROCHDALE ABUSE VICTIM REVEALS HORRIFIC ORDEAL

In August 2007, a young mother from Rochdale courageously shared her harrowing experience of enduring years of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather, Andrew John Turner. Turner, aged 52 and residing on Whitworth Road, was convicted last week of abusing another young person, leading to a significant legal outcome.

Last Thursday, Turner was sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty at Bolton Crown Court of two counts of indecent assault. Despite his conviction, Turner had previously denied the charges, maintaining his innocence until he eventually admitted to six counts of indecent assault against his own stepdaughter in February 2006. For these crimes, he received a 30-month prison sentence, of which he served half. Additionally, he was placed on an indefinite ban from working with children and was registered on the sex offenders’ register for life.

The victim, Nicola, who is now 25 years old, chose to waive her right to anonymity to share her story publicly. Her aim is to encourage other victims of abuse to come forward and seek justice. Nicola revealed that she was subjected to her stepfather’s abuse for six years, starting from the age of eight. Her account sheds light on the emotional and psychological toll such trauma inflicts.

Nicola recounted her initial confusion and fear, saying, “When it first started I didn’t understand what was happening. As I got older, I started to realize it was wrong and wanted it to stop, but didn’t know how.” She confided in a friend, who advised her to write her feelings in a diary and leave it where her mother might find it. Her greatest fear was that her mother wouldn’t believe her. However, one day her mother picked her up from school and mentioned she had read something she wasn’t supposed to see. Nicola clarified that she wanted her mother to see her diary entry, which led to an emotional confrontation and her mother taking her to the police.

Following the police interview, Nicola was asked if she wanted to press charges. At the time, her fear of the court process prevented her from pursuing legal action. It was only years later, after becoming a mother herself, that she felt ready to seek justice against her abuser. She expressed that she never felt closure during those years, especially as Turner continued to behave as if nothing had happened. “I’d see him on nights out and he’d come over and offer to buy me drinks. It made me feel sick,” she said.

Her resolve strengthened after she became pregnant with her first child and later had a daughter. Nicola stated, “Once I’d had my son and was pregnant with my little girl I knew then that enough was enough. If anyone did that to my children I would kill them.”

Unbeknownst to Nicola, Turner had already been convicted of abusing her when she reported her own experience in 2006. Although Turner pleaded guilty to abusing Nicola, he denied the allegations made by a second girl. However, the court relied heavily on Nicola’s detailed statement about her own abuse, which was read aloud during the trial, leading the jury to find Turner guilty of the additional charges.

Despite her initial vow not to let her past experiences ruin her life, Nicola admits that the aftermath was difficult. She suffered from frequent nightmares and struggled to trust men, making it challenging to form relationships well into her early twenties. Nevertheless, she expressed no regrets about pursuing justice and praised the police for their support. “Rochdale CID were brilliant with me. When it came to court, they stayed with me right up to the end,” she said. “When someone is abusing you, you feel at the time like they have won. Now it’s the case that I won’t let him win anymore.”