Quintino Gomes

Quintino Gomes, a 65-year-old man from Cluny in France, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a series of sexual offences committed against two victims in Dereham, Norfolk, over two decades ago. The offences, which took place between 2000 and 2001, involved severe abuse that has had lasting impacts on the victims' lives.

Following a 10-day trial at Norwich Crown Court, Gomes was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict on Friday of eight charges. These included four counts of rape of a woman, two counts of rape of a girl under the age of 16, one count of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 16, and one count of inciting a girl under the age of 16 to commit an act of gross indecency. Gomes had denied all charges during the trial.

One of the victims, who was a girl at the time of the abuse, shared a poignant personal statement in court, describing the profound effects of the trauma. 'I have had a lifelong feeling of shame and embarrassment,' she said. 'I want to leave these feelings of shame behind me. I did nothing wrong and I did not deserve what happened to me.' She also told the court that she had been 'robbed of a childhood'. The second victim similarly recounted the enduring consequences, stating: 'Since I was a child, I was made to believe that I wasn't worthy of love, I have questioned myself on everything including what I did to deserve such treatment. The aftermath has had an enormous impact throughout my life.'

Detective Constable Natalie Riseborough from Norfolk Police commented on the case, emphasising the bravery of the victims. 'No sentence will ever resolve the trauma inflicted on these victims by Gomes but I do hope this sentence provides them with some level of closure,' she said. 'I would like to commend them for their bravery in coming forward and encourage anyone else in a similar position to do so. It does not matter how long ago the abuse occurred, we will always investigate.' In addition to the custodial sentence, Gomes was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The case was reported by BBC News on 18 March 2024, highlighting the determination of Norfolk Police in pursuing historical sexual abuse allegations. The trial underscores the long-term pursuit of justice for victims of sexual offences, even after many years have passed.