Secret torment of child sex abuse victim

A VICTIM of sexual abuse as a child was later driven to a state of near suicide, a court was told.

The youngster, who was assaulted from the age of six, was preyed upon by Dharmesh Agravat, who took advantage of her innocence, said Judge Leslie Hull.

Manchester Crown Court heard that being so young, the girl — now an adult — had been in no position to consent.

The victim kept silent about her ordeal for years until she could no longer endure the torment.

Agravat, now 32, was given a 12-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to five specific counts of indecent assault dating back 20 years.

Duncan Wilcock prosecuting, said police were informed after his victim spoke about her four year ordeal as a child. In a statement she said she had used alcohol to try to shut out memories of what happened, and even deliberately tried to sabotage personal relationships when she was older.

David Toal defending, said former bus driver Agravat, of Oxford Street, Oldham, had been going through puberty and exploring his own sexuality at the time. He was older and should have known better.”

Judge Hull told Agravat, who was around 13 when he began abusing the girl: “It began in relative innocence, but went on from that.”

In addition to the sentence, which he suspended for two years, the judge ordered the defendant to take part in a sex offenders’ treatment programme and made him subject of a sexual offences prevention order.