Rape survivor who spoke out after 30 years praised

A woman who came forward 30 years after she was raped is set to feature in a Channel 4 documentary to highlight the importance of reporting such offences to police.

Mary Sharp, who has waived her right to anonymity, was 20 when she was raped by her then boyfriend Martin Butler as they visited Mevagissey, Cornwall, in August 1988.

Butler, then of York Road, Stevenage, was jailed for 11 years in April 2023 at the age of 61.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Alison Hernandez, has praised Mary and encouraged others to report crimes to the police.

After spending a night out in Mevagissey, Mary woke up in bed to find she had been tied up and was being raped and suffocated by Butler.

She kept the secret for 30 years until 2018 when she saw a post on social media containing allegations that suggested there could be other victims of her attacker.

In the post, two other complainants against Butler, Laura Hughes and Lauren Preston, who have also waived their right to anonymity, alleged they were both sexually abused when they were 14 years old.

Their case collapsed in court due to a procedural error and Butler was cleared.

Mary, who is now 58, said of her case: "When I was raped he blamed me and said it was my fault.

"Even though I knew in my heart he was wrong, I didn't speak out because the fear was overwhelming. I was too ashamed to tell anyone and I carried the blame."

She added: "As soon as I saw Laura's social media post, my whole world just collapsed.

"I realised it wasn't me who was to blame, it was him and I shouldn't be wearing the shame of it."

The three women are set to appear in a documentary called Do You Know this Man? which will be shown on Channel 4 on 13 May at 22:00 BST.

Mary said when she reported Butler she did not think she would be believed.

She added the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) threw the case out twice after deciding there was not enough evidence.

"The decision was overturned and I did get an apology, but it took another five years of trauma after reporting him to get justice because of it," she said.

She added: "When I was told he had been found guilty and would be jailed I literally collapsed. I was believed and I was allowed to have justice.

"I would encourage others to speak out because although it's painful it shows strength and it might stop the same perpetrator doing something as bad - or worse - to others."

After meeting Laura and Lauren for the first time following the court case, Mary said she admired their strength to stand up and be counted.

She said: "Looking at them was like looking in a mirror and seeing the same hell that I had been through.

"We now call ourselves soul sisters."

PCC Hernandez said: "This is a powerful reminder of how perpetrators can devastate multiple peoples' lives, including victims and their families.

"I am in complete admiration of their strength and compassion for others, and Mary's story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming," she added.

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