Yossa Maunders

A dangerous sex offender, Yossa Maunders - also known as Andrew Yorath - has been sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court for a prolonged campaign of abuse against a young boy committed over 30 years ago. The offences, which took place in the late 1980s, involved repeated sexual assaults including buggery and oral sex on a victim who was under 10 years old at the time. Maunders, who was a teenager himself during the offending, bribed and groomed the boy with gifts such as a football, and issued threats to keep him silent about the systematic abuse.

The case came to light following a nervous breakdown suffered by the victim in 2019, after which he reported the experiences to the police. In an impact statement read to the court, the victim described growing up feeling 'guilty and ashamed', turning to drink and drugs as a rebellious teenager to block out the memories. He explained that the abuse had been suppressed until a stressful period brought nightmares and feelings of vulnerability, ultimately leading to his breakdown. Reporting the abuse provided him with 'closure', and he learned he was not responsible for what happened.

Prosecutor Claire Wilkes detailed how Maunders also sexually abused a second boy in the grounds of a hospital in Cardiff around the same time. The second victim's impact statement highlighted becoming shy and reserved post-abuse, falling behind at school, and struggling to trust others. He credited meeting his partner, whom he called his 'soul mate', and his passion for football - including organising youth football - with preventing his life from spiralling further.

Maunders, whose address was given as a psychiatric hospital in Bridgend, was convicted at trial of 10 counts of indecent assault and buggery. The court heard he has a criminal record of 35 previous offences, including many for dishonesty and sexual matters. Notably, in 2006, he received a 10-year extended sentence as a dangerous offender for eight counts of indecent assault on a five-year-old boy over several years. Judge Michael Fitton QC noted that Maunders knew his actions were wrong, as shown by the threats to his victim, and described the conduct as a 'prolonged, systematic course of conduct' that 'broke' the victim after three decades of silence.

Psychiatric reports confirmed Maunders suffers from borderline emotionally unstable personality disorder but not a psychotic illness, and he poses a high risk of further sexual offending. Despite this, the judge categorised him as a dangerous offender but reduced the sentence significantly due to his young age at the time of the offences. Defence barrister Stephen Rees mentioned Maunders' traumatic and chaotic upbringing and mental health issues, though limited mitigation was possible after the trial.

The sentencing reflects the severity of historical child sex offences, with South Wales Police involved in the investigation. Maunders will be a registered sex offender for life.