'A man raped me in front of my eight-month-old baby - it destroyed my life'

In a heartbreaking account, the woman tells how it took her 12 years to build up the courage to go to the police

Sick: The rapist Williams, left, was jailed 12 years on from the vile assault

A traumatised woman has told how a sick stranger broke into her home on his 42nd birthday, raping her in front of her eight-month-old baby.
The vile rapist - Neville Williams - even held the baby in his arms after sexually assaulting her before fleeing the home.
Aged 19 at the time, the woman was so horrified by the attack that she fled to the other side of the country.
It took the woman, now 35, 12 years until she felt strong enough to go to the police.
Since the attack, she had even slept with weapons under her pillow as she could not feel safe in her own home.
She recalled the man referred to himself by the nickname “Crunch” and in December 2013 Williams, then 56, of Birmingham, appeared at Birmingham Crown Court

where he denied one count of rape.
However, a jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to ten years in prison and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
The victim, speaking about the attack for the first time, told how Williams said: “I think I deserve a present” before raping her.
He then added it was his “f** birthday.”

She said: “I’ll never get over what that monster put me through, but now he’s locked up at least I know other young girls are safe.
“For 14 years I barely slept and kept knives and hammers under my pillow, as I was petrified he’d return – even though I’d moved hundreds of miles away.
“I know how difficult it can be to have the courage to come forward, but the police were so supportive.
“I urge other sex crime survivors to seek justice, no matter how long ago the abuse took place.”
The woman said she was spring cleaning, having lived in her flat in Solihull in the West Midlands for a few weeks, when she heard a banging at the door.

She said: “A voice yelled, ‘I know you’re in there, I’m coming in whether you like it or not.’
“I thought the door was going to come off its hinges and my baby was starting to whimper.”
She said she opened the door and a man, who she now knows to be Williams, “pushed past her”.
“I asked him what he wanted and he told me it was his birthday,” she said. “I was at a loss for words, so I wished him a happy birthday.
“He paced through the flat, ranting about how it was his special day and that he deserved a present.
“Then he told me that he was going to touch me. It was horrifying, but I just wanted to keep his attention on me and away from my child.”
Williams then dragged the woman into her bedroom and raped her.
She said: “I could see my child’s Moses basket in the living room while it was happening. I fixed my eyes on it, silently crying.
“When it was over he walked over to my child and began cradling my baby. My heart lurched and I felt sick to my stomach.
“He told me to get in the bath and wash myself. I now think that was to try and remove any evidence that could be used to convict him.
“Then he handed over my baby and told me he’d be back later and that if I told anyone far worse was to come.
“I knew then and there I had to get as far away as possible. It wasn’t something I could tell my parents and I was too scared to go to the police.”

Silhouette of a woman — Brave: The woman came forward after 12 years

The woman moved to Scotland to set up a new life. There she was given emergency accommodation, but she was still fearful Williams would find her.
She explained: “I was a living zombie. I couldn’t sleep or eat. The only thing that kept me going was my baby.

“As years went by my fear turned into crippling guilt. I knew Crunch was still out there, probably hurting other young girls, and I’d done nothing about it.
“So, 12 years after the attack, I reported him to the police. After a two-year investigation it went to court and when he was convicted I felt a huge weight off my shoulders.”
After the trial Detective Chief Inspector Dean Young said: “I commend the woman for her courage. She is a role model for countless other women who have been assaulted over the years and who have never felt able to tell police officers their story.
“As well as helping secure a lengthy jail term for Williams preventing him from harming others, she will undoubtedly be a source of strength and inspiration for people who are in a situation similar to hers.”
In December 2014 Neville Williams appealed his sentencing, complaining it was too tough.
However, Mr Justice Nicol, sitting with Lady Justice Sharp and Mr Justice Stewart, ruled that Williams deserved every single day of his sentence.
He said Williams had, “held his victim against her will in her own home” and his sentence was “neither wrong in principle nor manifestly excessive.”
The woman said: “Now I’m finally living life. I’m learning to drive, having counselling and I plan to help other rape victims. “I will not be silenced.”