Victims feel 'failed' after bailed paedophile dies

Bernard "Bob" Rapley's victims said he was well known locally and many people idolised him

Victims of a prolific paedophile say they feel "failed" by the legal system after he died before spending a day in prison.

Bernard Rapley, 79, from Aldershot, was found guilty of 26 child sex crimes following a trial in January.

He was bailed but failed to attend two subsequent sentencing hearings and died before a third hearing.

The Judiciary, which is responsible for upholding the law and for bail and warrant decisions, said it is not able to comment on individual cases.

Rapley, who was known as Bob, was convicted of offences that occurred between 1988 and 2020, including child sexual assault and assault by penetration.

He was arrested in 2020 after one of his youngest victims, in tears, "blurted" out she was being abused. Others then came forward and also reported him to the police.

The BBC has spoken to a group of women who were abused by Rapley when they were children, and who are entitled to lifelong anonymity.

They all described feeling "massive relief" after the guilty verdicts at the end of Rapley's trial at Winchester Crown Court.

But they said what happened next felt "like a kick in the gut".

They were stunned when he was allowed home on bail again before being sentenced, and feared "bumping into him".

One woman, who the BBC is calling Lucy, said: "On what planet is it acceptable to allow someone who's been convicted to this extent of child sex offences, to walk the streets?

"I felt at that point he's not going to see the inside of a prison cell because I knew he'd try and kill himself, because he'd said it to people."

'Named and shamed'

Rapley was ordered to wear an electronic tag, obey a night-time home curfew, and not contact any of his victims.

He failed to attend two subsequent sentencing hearings, claiming illness.

Then, immediately before a third court hearing in May, when a judge was due to decide whether to issue a warrant for his arrest, he died.

Lucy said she repeatedly warned the police he might take his own life, including in the hours before his death.

She said someone who knew him told a relative he was intending to "make himself ill again", because he didn't want to go to prison.

The BBC has seen doorbell video footage backing up her claims.

The video was forwarded to the police and Lucy alerted the Crown Prosecution Service's barrister, but said she was told "nothing" could be done.

The next day the police called Lucy to say Rapley was dead.

"I just burst into tears, because it was all for nothing. I said 'we told you he was going to do this, we told you time and time again'," she said.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said Rapley's death did not appear to be suspicious. But Lucy wants an inquest to establish if he deliberately ended his life.

Rapley was found guilty of 26 child sex crimes following a trial at Winchester Crown Court

After enduring the emotional trauma of a lengthy investigation and trial, the women said Rapley's death robbed them of the chance to read their victim impact statements in court.

One of his youngest victims described the devastating consequences of his abuse: "It's something that's lurking, like the devil's always on your shoulder reminding you of what he's done to you.

"I feel failed. I just want justice - that he's named and shamed."

The women fear Rapley may have abused others who are yet to come forward, as they believe many people "idolised" him.

One added: “Predators don’t get caught out because they go around pretending to be this good person and that’s how he got away with it for so long.”

Lucy wants the legal process speeded up, as she often felt the case was "sat on the back burner” and she had to keep asking for updates.

She added: “I wasn’t allowed to talk about any aspect of the case with anyone at all until after the trial, so I couldn’t have counselling. It was horrendous.”

'Frustration'

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said in a statement it knew Rapley had "some serious health conditions".

It said officers had been made aware of information relayed to the victims about Rapley the day before the May hearing, and it was "being reviewed" by the investigation team when he died the same day.

It added it understood the "frustration and disappointment" of his victims.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it hoped Rapley's convictions went "some way towards providing closure on these awful crimes", adding it is working hard with the courts to speed up the legal process and improve support for victims.

According to Hampshire Coroner's Service, Rapley's death is "still under investigation" and any potential inquest is yet to be opened.

If you are affected by issues raised in this article help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.