Carolee Hickman

A couple from St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan have been found guilty of historical sex offences against an 11-year-old girl in the 1970s. Albert Hickman, aged 65, was convicted at Cardiff Crown Court of raping the girl between 1972 and 1975. His wife, Carolee Hickman, aged 64, was found guilty of indecent assault and aiding and abetting the rape. The case came to light decades later, with the victim, now in her 50s, providing testimony about the horrific abuse she endured.

The court heard that the girl had visited the Hickmans' home while truanting from school with friends. There, she was plied with cigarettes and alcohol. The couple, who claimed involvement in black magic, discussed the occult with her and performed tarot card readings. To join their so-called 'magic circle', the girl was forced to have sex with Albert Hickman. During the rape, Carolee Hickman held the girl down by her arms, the jury was told.

Threats were a key part of the coercion. Carolee, who described herself as a witch, warned the girl that she could harm or even kill her mother using her powers. She demonstrated this by cutting the girl's hand with a jewelled-handled knife kept in a carved wooden box and sucking the blood from the wound. The victim recounted: 'Carolee said she was a witch and would come and get me and would make my mother ill - she even said she could kill my mother if she wanted to.'

This conviction follows a pattern of offending for the Hickmans, who were previously jailed in 1982 for similar child sex offences. The jury reached a majority verdict after deliberating for five hours. Judge Daniel Williams remanded both in custody pending sentencing. The case was heard at Cardiff Crown Court, with evidence presented highlighting the manipulative use of superstition to perpetrate the abuse.