The Letter : My 50 Year Fight For Justice

Sarah Sidebottom was repeatedly raped by both her father and her brother as a child hassecured justice thanks to a forgotten letter. Sarah Sidebottom, 54, was raped and sexuallyabused by her father, Arthur William Bowditch, and her brother, Arthur Stephen Bowditch. They were jailed in 2022 for a total of 32 years. The first attack, when she was just three and a half years old, left Sarah needing surgery torepair internal damage. A decades-old letter from her doctor proved crucial in securing aconviction for the abuse, which began almost 50 years go. Sarah, 54, now happily married and a mum of two, runs a charity for ex-army veterans withher husband, Darren, himself a former soldier, in Barnsley, South Yorks. She’s even beena guest at Buckingham palace in her charity role – a far cry from the suffering of her earlyyears. Sarah also shares a special bond with her dog, Kayla, a German Shepherd, who saved her lifewhen she has felt unable to carry on. She says: “I had no idea about the surgery until 2021, and I saw my medical records. I washorrified, but at the same time, this was exactly what the prosecution needed to build acase against my father. After staying silent for nearly 50 years, part of my healing process ishaving a voice and speaking out.”