MATTHEW LUNGLEY SENT TO PRISON IN PITSTONE FOR CHILD ABUSE VICTIM'S COURAGEOUS TESTIMONY

In March 2015, a woman who endured the harrowing effects of childhood sexual abuse has publicly spoken out following the sentencing of her attacker. The woman, now in her thirties and choosing to remain anonymous, revealed that she was subjected to horrific abuse by Matthew Lungley in 1990, when she was only seven years old.

At the time, Lungley, aged 17, was a family friend who preyed on the young girl during a visit to his home in Pitstone, where she had gone to play. The trauma she experienced persisted for over two decades before justice was finally served. On February 13, Lungley was sentenced to six years in prison after his victim bravely came forward and provided testimony during his trial for indecent assault. Her courage in facing her abuser and recounting her painful memories played a crucial role in securing his conviction.

Following the sentencing, the woman expressed her desire to encourage other victims of abuse not to suffer in silence. She shared her feelings about the impact of the abuse on her life, stating, “When I had my daughter, it was supposed to be one of the happiest times of my life. Things like that are supposed to make everything better, but my first thought was ‘how could anyone do that to a child?’ It made me so angry.”

She also opened up about the emotional toll the abuse has taken on her, revealing that she has struggled with depression and anxiety as a result. Despite these challenges, she said, “I feel so relieved that justice has been done, I feel like a weight has been lifted off. I have been through 25 years of hell and it hasn’t really sunk in yet. I still can’t believe that he is behind bars, and I hope that he gets exactly what he deserves while he is in there.”

Although revisiting her painful past and giving evidence in court was a difficult process, she hopes her story will inspire other victims to come forward and seek justice. She recounted the emotional moment when the jury found Lungley guilty, saying, “When the jury said guilty I just sobbed. I was trying to say thank you to them, I fell to the floor and I couldn’t walk. He was doing everything he could to try and delay it, like turning up without a solicitor, he wanted me to crack. But I couldn’t because, as nervous as you get, you find inner strength. I just thought how would I feel if he was able to just go back and start his normal life again.”

She emphasized that Lungley will now be on the sex offenders’ register, and her words conveyed a sense of closure: “He will be on the sex offenders’ register now, his life is over and children are safer.”

Reflecting on the initial response to her allegations, she explained that her parents reported the abuse to police at the time, but they were advised not to pursue the case further, as prosecuting a seven-year-old could have been traumatic. She expressed gratitude for the support she received, particularly praising police officer Paula Benson, who she described as “brilliant.” She concluded with a message to others, saying, “Justice has been done, and my parents did the right thing at the time. I just want anyone out there reading this to know that you can get justice no matter how long ago it was.”