EDWIN GALLIENNE, GOSPORT SEXUAL PREDATOR, SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS FOR ABUSING YOUNG GIRLS
In August 2016, a disturbing case unfolded in Gosport involving Edwin Gallienne, a 75-year-old man who was convicted of heinous sexual offenses against two young girls.The victims, who endured years of abuse, watched as Gallienne was sentenced to a lengthy prison term of 12 years for his crimes.
Gallienne, a resident of Bury Hall Lane in Gosport, was found guilty of a series of serious sexual offenses that spanned nearly a decade.
The court heard harrowing details of how he sexually assaulted and raped the girls, encouraging them to perform indecent acts on him.
Additionally, he used bribery tactics, offering sweets and money to manipulate and lure the children into his abusive grasp.
One of the victims was subjected to his abuse starting from the age of just four years old.
The court proceedings revealed the profound impact of Gallienne’s actions on the victims.
The girls, now teenagers, shared their painful memories, with one expressing feelings of confusion and anger.
Speaking to The News, one of the girls said, “I’m so mixed up and angry because of him.” The emotional toll was evident, and the court was presented with a statement from the girl, read aloud by prosecutor Daniel Sawyer.
He explained, “Since it was reported I’ve had to recall events in my life I’d long blocked in my mind, things that I thought were deep and could not hurt me have come sliding back.” During the sentencing, Gallienne’s defense attorney, Hugh French, attempted to mitigate his client’s actions by stating that Gallienne had apologized.
However, the victims’ families and supporters dismissed this gesture as meaningless.
One of the girls’ grandmothers described Gallienne’s apology as “totally worthless.” The prosecution detailed Gallienne’s grooming tactics, including waving cash at the girls to entice them.
Mr.
Sawyer explained, “He would try and lure one girl away,” and added that Gallienne would regularly offer money and sweets in exchange for their compliance with his demands.
The court also heard disturbing claims that Gallienne shifted blame onto one of the victims, suggesting that she had invited the abuse when she was only three or four years old.
Judge Roger Hetherington delivered the sentence, condemning Gallienne’s conduct as “truly appalling.” He emphasized the severity of the crimes, stating, “Over that approximately 10-year period you touched them sexually on very many occasions.” The judge acknowledged the lasting trauma inflicted on the victims and noted that Gallienne’s guilty pleas came after one girl reported the abuse, leading to additional charges.
Despite this, the judge pointed out that Gallienne attempted to shift blame, claiming that the victims had invited the abuse.
Gallienne pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including eight counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, four counts of rape against a child under 13, one count of rape, three counts of inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and three additional sex assaults.
As part of his sentence, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, underscoring the gravity of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.
