Rotherham grooming victim Sammy Woodhouse has said she was “betrayed” by authorities in the town, who failed to act on the violent child rapist for fear of “being perceived as racist”.
Now campaigning for other victims of sexual abuse, she said she was “just one of dozens of girls… exploited and viewed as white trash” in Rotherham by Arshid Hussain, a drug dealer ten years her senior from a notorious family of criminals.
“He took everything from me: my loving family, my future, my friends”, Woodhouse told the Mail, recalling that she had “just turned 14” when the then 24 year old began the grooming process.
“He became controlling, possessive and he’d batter me. But the scars of the mental abuse took longer to fade than the bruises. He used to tell me that without him I was nothing and nobody.
“For four or five years, there were times I was so depressed I couldn’t get out of bed. At my lowest point, I wanted to take my own life.”
Woodhouse’s parents were distraught when they learned Hussain was having sex with their daughter, but the “manipulative” rapist told her people’s concern was borne of racism.
“Your dad just doesn’t like me because he’s a racist”, Woodhouse was told.
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