Historic abuse, worth reporting?

[Namechangelikeits1999]

Has anyone ever reported historic abuse by a parent? Years 1990-2000. Physical abuse, coercive control, financial abuse, to all within household. How much evidence would be needed for police to prosecute? There is one police report and conviction from that time already.

What are you looking to achieve with this? It is over thirty years ago and there most likely won’t be enough evidence for the police to do anything. Best to invest your time and energy in therapy if you feel like this is still affecting you.

Not personally, but I know someone who reported physical abuse that happened around the late 70s-mid 80s around 10yrs ago.

There was no physical evidence as such - just her word, and that of her brother’s. The accused (father) admitted to it and was given in excess of a 10yr sentence.

I have helped others (through work) report historic abuse. Unfortunately no action has ever been taken in my experience. But generally they have had no evidence. And to be fair I’m not sure the people reporting would have wanted to go to court etc if it came to that. Is that what you want to do? A trial will be horrendous but if you ring the police they themselves will be able to advise you if they think you have a case when you make a statement. You will need evidence for it to go to court.

He has another wife now who told me he had abused her, this was a long time ago when I was still young and didn't know what to do, she cut contact after that. Their child has just become an adult.
So, part vindication, part revenge, part concern for what will happen to her once the child is out of the house.

Awful advice, although obviously therapy would be a good idea

10 year sentence! One can only dream

I would take pleasure in going to court and testifying against him. I've already done it once as a teenager but the trial was about one incident only and there are thousands more which were never reported. He got community service.

I would give them all the information you have. You have no way of knowing what information they already have on him

I guess you could report it to police but don't expect they will be able to prosecute.
So manage your expectations.
It might help you to state what you witnessed endured and was an offence.
Also it might just add to a picture of him.
You don't know what someone else might have reported.
So legs on a table possibly accumulation of evidence may build a picture.
All the best.
Are you in touch with your younger sibling ?

Then I would contact the police and report it. Give your statement and all the evidence you have. They will support you with it. Well they should do anyway. Handy to have a lot written down beforehand so you don’t forget things

If the person is a harm to others morally it is worth it, for your own mental health. The guilt you would feel if you reached a point where you can talk about it but didn't and then happened to someone else, would be worse, or at least an additional issue for a lot of people. If you feel strong enough now to throw light on it maybe you have forseen them potentially doing the same again?

Yes, report. It will be on police records which might help another person in the future.

It is realistic advice.

OP, you need to really think about what you're hoping to achieve and how you will feel if you don't succeed.

If you have concerns for the current wife's safety once their child leaves home, then the best thing to do would be to take proactive action on that front.

You are going to need quite robust evidence for the CPS to decide to prosecute. And remember this needs to be evidence in the eyes of a third party. I know you know what happened and that what evidence you has makes sense - a third party goes not have that.

It probably won't come to anything due to lack of evidence.
Would reporting it feel cathartic to you? Or would it be upsetting if nothing could be done?

It will protect future partners ect. If they decide to do a Clare’s Law application. It’s always best to
report.

ETA- you mention OP taking proactive steps, that’s exactly what a report to police would be.

Cathartic yes, not upsetting. I've already lived with it all my life.

Coercive control didn't exist as an offence until 2015, so there will be nothing they can do with that. Physical abuse could be prosecuted. Is there likely to still be medical evidence that could be obtained?

In that case I guess go for it.