'My abuser died waiting for trial'

Matt Hayward says the court delays he faced caused him 'turmoil and hurt'

Survivors of historical sexual abuse have expressed their fears that record backlogs in the court system may prevent more victims from coming forward.

Matt Hayward, 48, who has waived his right to anonymity, says the time his case took to go through the courts left him in a spiral of pain and "turmoil".

A man from Kent was charged in 2019 with raping Mr Hayward when he was a child, but died in 2021 before he was due to go on trial.

The Ministry of Justice says courts are running at "full throttle" to deal with the backlog.

Mr Hayward, now a station commander for the London Fire Brigade, says he was informed of the defendant's death three weeks before the hearing.

He said the case had been adjourned on at least four occasions before that.

He said: “The delays that I faced were really challenging.

“The people that work within the courts were fantastic but I think it’s just the huge pressure that they are under."

Mr Hayward, who now lives in Somerset, wants to raise awareness of unprecedented delays in the court system following the recent conviction of another man who sexually assaulted him when he was 10.

Mr Hayward says sexual abuse affects people 'right across society'

Michael Turton, 77, from Cavendish in Suffolk, was found guilty of indecent assault last month at Canterbury Crown Court.

This conviction came seven years after Mr Hayward reported him to Kent Police, in 2017.

He said: “For me and my family for the last seven years, life’s been on hold.

"Your world drops out. I don't think anybody actually understands the power of waiting and the amount of time that you're waiting for. We've been waiting for this closure."

If you are affected by any of the issues in this article you can find details of organisations that can help via the BBC Action Line

The backlog of cases for trial in crown courts across England and Wales is at a record high.

The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice show there were 66,547 outstanding cases for trial in crown courts across England and Wales in the third quarter of 2023.

That's an 88% increase from the same period in the year before the pandemic.

Mr Hayward says he has finally got closure after waiting for years

Mr Hayward decided to report the sexual abuse to police after his best friend's daughter, Poppy Eyre, shared her story of being abused by her paternal grandfather when she was younger.

He was jailed for 13-and-a-half years in 2018 for a number of sexual offences including rape.

Mr Hayward said he had been inspired by the then 'little girl' for her bravery in coming forward and felt he might be believed if he told his story.

"I’d hidden it for so long," he said.

"The turmoil and hurt that it’s caused me throughout the years not saying anything."

But the pair feel the justice system is taking too long for victims who are left waiting for trials to go ahead.

They fear it might stop victims coming forward but they want to assure people that they will be believed.

Mr Hayward says it "worries" him that people wouldn't come forward because at times he questioned whether to continue with the process.

Miss Eyre echoed his concerns.

"I can imagine some people may feel like 'why now should I dig it all back up and be left waiting,'" she said.

Poppy Eyre, 18, has become an ambassador for victims of child sexual abuse

Living now in East Sussex, Miss Eyre, 18, has waived her right to anonymity to "take away the shame" of coming forward.

She's an ambassador for Kent charity Family Matters and the NSPCC.

Miss Eyre also campaigns for better support for victims of sexual abuse and improving wait times in the court system.

'Lives on hold'

Miss Eyre said: "I waited nearly two years and I understand it's way longer now. It drives you crazy.

"Being my age now, I don't know if i'd have the energy to carry on and dig it all up and end up waiting for five years.

"You're putting people's lives on hold because they've had the courage to make themselves vulnerable."

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said it's boosting investment, recruiting judges and extending the use of Nightingale Courts.

However, temporary Nightingale Courts in Maidstone and Wolverhampton which were opened during the pandemic to provide more space for hearings, will be closing this month.

Judges across England and Wales recently announced they will prioritise the longest-delayed rape cases.