NORFOLK MAN FINALLY GETS JUSTICE AFTER 20 YEARS FOR RAPE
Dan Cooper, from Watton, Norfolk, was raped by Shaun Gilder in 2004 when he was 17 years old.Gilder attacked him on a quiet road behind the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, Norfolk, after Gilder was drunk and asked Dan to drive him home.
He left Dan with serious internal injuries that required three hospital admissions.
Despite the trauma, Dan was able to drive Gilder home before returning to his mother’s house.
Gilder was later convicted of two counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration and sentenced to eight years in prison in February 2024, nearly 20 years after the attack.
Dan went to the police in September 2018 and re-reported the attack after serving on a jury, which helped him realize he needed justice.
Shaun Gilder, from Oulton Broad, Suffolk, was found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment.
Dan described how serving on a jury in 2018 was a turning point, and Gilder's conviction brought some closure.
In his victim impact statement, Dan said he had been diagnosed with complex PTSD and has had thoughts of suicide.
The article notes that a significant percentage of adults have experienced sexual assault, and a study found a high percentage of individuals exposed to graphic evidence report PTSD symptoms.
Dan's mother, Nicki Duffield, confronted Gilder in 2004 when he visited her son in hospital, recalling a raging anger at the time.
Dan now works as a project manager and has found healing through community work, social media, and caring for his dogs.
He has shared his story publicly to help others and support victims of sexual violence.
