A woman raped as a teenager in a caravan park said her life would be ‘forever damaged and stolen from me’.

Peter Valler’s victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was molested during a stay at the holiday park when she was in her mid-teens – one of three sexual assaults on her.

In a video recorded interview with detectives, the woman said she had told Valler to stop but he reassured her ‘it would only take a minute and she would feel better’.

In a victim personal statement read to Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday, she said: “Even though this is all out, it will never be over for me. The effects will [be] with me for the rest of my life. I will always have the scars.”

She added: “I will never be free of the suffering. My life will forever be damaged and stolen from me.”

The woman said she ‘blamed herself’ for what happened to her, sometimes believing ‘it was something I did’.

Sentencing Valler to 10 years’ imprisonment in his absence, Judge Maria Lamb said: “This is a young woman who describes herself as wondering whether she did something to encourage him to behave in the way that he did towards her. Of course, she did not.

“There is an ongoing and enduring, lasting impact upon her as a consequence of what the defendant has done.”

Valler, 45, of Baillieston, Glasgow, who has been on remand since jurors found him guilty in July of two counts of rape and of sexually assaulting a child under-13, was not present for the hearing.

He had been on a video link conference with his barrister before Wednesday’s sentencing hearing when concerns were raised about his mental health, Judge Lamb said.

As a result, he was being assessed by specialists at HMP Bullingdon, near Bicester, where he is on remand.

There was no indication about when the assessment would be completed and the judge said, given the sentencing had been adjourned a number of times already and he would only be moved to a prison closer to family in Scotland post-sentence, it was in his interests to continue.

Mitigating, Mark Sahu said his client had been working as a wing cleaner and informal carer and mentor to fellow inmates since his incarceration. He was not receiving important medication and there were concerns about his mental and physical health, the barrister said.

Character references had been provided by the defendant’s wife and several others attesting to his ‘caring side’.

Valler continued to deny his guilt, the court heard.

Welcoming the 10 year jail sentence, DC Jenny Roberts of Cowley police station said: “These historic offences were disclosed many years after they happened, and I commend the victim for her bravery in coming forwards.”

Thames Valley Police was unable to provide a custody photo of the defendant as none was taken when he was interviewed under caution.

Valler will be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and be a registered sex offender for life.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

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