Child sexual abuse survivor encourages others to speak out after her father is jailed
A woman from Sydenham whose father raped her as a child is encouraging sexual abuse survivors to speak up about their experience.
Sarah Mo, 52, was sexually abused by her father Martin Prew for a number of years starting when she was just six years old.
Ms Mo reported the crimes to the police in 2019 which led to a two year investigation.
On August 21, 2021, Prew pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 years of age, indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 years, and inciting a girl under 14 years of age to commit an act of gross indecency at Kingston Crown Court.
He was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison at the same court on October 18, 2021.
Ms Mo is now urging other survivors not to suffer in silence, saying: “It’s never too late to report or get the help that you deserve.
“Abuse thrives in secrecy and silence, so it’s important to your healing to speak out, whether that be to a trusted friend or family member or to the NSPCC or National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC).
“I carried a burden of shame all my life and I now finally feel that it’s not my shame to have – it’s his.”
Prew began to abuse Ms Mo after the family moved to Putney in the mid-1970s.
The abuse escalated from inappropriate touching to oral and penetrative sex, with Prew continuing to abuse Ms Mo until she was 15 years old.
He would also take baths with her, place mirrors in the bathroom so that he could watch as she bathed, and show her pornographic magazines, making her re-enact the poses of the women in them.
In her victim impact statement which she read at the sentencing trial, Ms Mo said: “I have very few memories of the time before my father started to sexually abuse me at the age of six.
“As a result, my whole life has been tainted by the abuse I suffered.
“At the age of 15, after repeated requests from me for my father to stop abusing me, the abuse ended. Its legacy did not.
“The abuse I suffered has had an immeasurable impact on my life – psychologically, emotionally, physically, and socially.
“There has been no part of my life that has not been affected.”
At the age of 30, Ms Mo told her family about the abuse.
In her statement, she added: “I had hoped that my father, whom I still loved, would admit what he had done, ask for forgiveness and we could work to move forward with our relationship if he sought professional help. That didn’t happen.
“I cut off any contact with him when I was 32.
“The rest of my father’s family turned their backs on me.
“I attempted to continue a relationship with my mother, but this was not sustainable, and I cut off contact with her in 2015.”
It took her another 20 years after telling her family to report the crimes to the police.
She said: “When my daughter turned 15, which was the age I was when the abuse ended, I thought now is the time.
“I wanted to be a good role model to her. I wanted to show her that no matter what, women and girls can’t be treated in that way, and you have to stand up for yourself.”
After Prew pleaded guilty, Ms Mo decided to attend court for the sentencing trial in order to read her victim impact statement.
She said: “When he was first charged and when I stood in the witness box reading out my statement I felt for the first time in relation to my abuse, I felt really powerful.
“My father had always had all the power but I feel that he doesn’t have any power anymore.”
PC Nik Stilliard, who the officer in charge of the case, said: “I would like to commend Sarah for her bravery in reporting the crimes that her father committed against her, and working very closely with me so that we could put forward a case which ultimately secured a lengthy custodial sentence for Martin Prew.
“I sincerely hope that the result will give Sarah some well-deserved respite, and bring hope to other victims who may have reservations about coming forward.”
Ms Mo praised the police for their investigation.
She said: “The police were fantastic. Nik dealt with me really sensitively.
“I was really so happy when he was charged with the eight offences. It’s a testament to the police for getting there.
“I’ve suffered because of the abuse all through my life but I’m aware that there are many women who are homeless or on the street who have a history of abuse of some kind.
“That’s one of the reasons why I’m speaking out. I’m actually in a really privileged position to have this kind of voice, and to have been able to go to the police and secure a conviction. So many people don’t get that opportunity.
“That’s why I want to get the story out there and tell people with similar histories they’re not alone and that they can go to the police and they’ll be dealt with really sensitively.”
PC Stilliard encouraged other sexual abuse survivors to report the crimes.
She said: “A message which I hope comes through in this story is that the Met is devoted to ending crimes such as this which we know can be detrimental to the lives and wellbeing of victims.
“We want to bring perpetrators of these crimes to justice.
“Victims can also approach many of our charity partners and speak completely anonymously to Crimestoppers if they do not feel comfortable talking to police in the first instance.
“There are many options available, and we can make sure that you have access to the support you need.”