Abuse Uncovered Following Burglary
A woman who endured sexual abuse by her father has recounted how a burglary at her parents' residence ultimately led to his prosecution.
Lizzie Jones, aged 49, was subjected to abuse by her father, David Terrence Pethig, starting from when she was four years old.
She remained silent about the abuse until a burglar who stole Pethig's laptop discovered thousands of child abuse images stored on the device and reported it to the authorities.
Pethig admitted to charges including making indecent images and possessing indecent images and videos but avoided a prison sentence initially.
Following this, Lizzie, who is from Wrexham, disclosed the abuse to her mother, who encouraged her to report it to the police.
Warning: This article contains details of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.
Early Life and Abuse
Lizzie was raised in a household with her father Pethig, her mother, and a younger brother.
Her father began sexually abusing her when she was just four years old.
Her mother was frequently away working long hours, and Pethig threatened Lizzie that he would harm her mother and prevent her from seeing her again if Lizzie ever disclosed the abuse.
"I wanted to tell my mum for years and years, and I just couldn't bring myself to tell her,"
Lizzie stated.
The abuse persisted until she was 15 years old.
Discovery and Legal Proceedings
In 2011, following a burglary at the family home, Pethig's laptop was found to contain over 8,500 images of child sexual abuse.
The burglar who stole the laptop reported this to the police.
Pethig admitted to 17 charges of making indecent images and two charges of possessing indecent images and videos but was not sentenced to prison at that time.
It was after these events that Lizzie, then 42, revealed the abuse to her mother.
"My mum swore and she said 'are you strong enough to tell the police?' and I said 'yes let's do it',"
"The police came straight around [and] it went to the CID [Criminal Investigation Department].
"My mum always knew there was something wrong about him.
"She said to me she wouldn't have let nothing happened to me if she had known.
"But when you are a kid you believe when your father says [that] you will never see your mother again."
Further Charges and Sentencing
In February 2023, Pethig was charged with 15 counts of indecent assault, three counts of rape, an assault by penetration, and an attempt to commit a serious sexual assault.
He pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced to 18 years in custody, followed by a 12-month extended licence period.
Lizzie reflected on her mother’s passing just prior to the court case.
"Mum died just before the court case so she's never seen what happened,"
"I've got him locked up but it doesn't take away all the memories."
Ongoing Impact and Recovery
Despite achieving a measure of justice, Lizzie continues to live with the trauma of the abuse.
"It's been hard to me. I have written poetry books about the abuse,"
"Now I've started therapy and hopefully that will help the night terrors."
Support and resources for those affected by similar issues are available through BBC Action Line.
