A sex offender has been jailed for 12 years after being convicted of raping and sexually abusing two girls more than four decades ago. Clive Siddall, born 3 May 1945 and formerly of Oxted, committed the offences against two girls who were known to him during the early 1980s.
The survivors, now adult women, described how the abuse had continued to affect almost every aspect of their lives, including their education, relationships and mental health. One told the court: “I think I will live in fear of him for the rest of my life.” Another described how she had once dreamed of joining the RAF and becoming a nurse, but stopped attending school following the abuse.
She said: “I was no longer able to concentrate and learning seemed pointless, as my future felt destroyed.” She added that her life subsequently “lacked purpose, direction, and control”. The second survivor described feeling that she had nobody she could rely upon, saying this had contributed to reckless decisions later in her life.
Both women described struggles with their mental health and using alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms, as well as difficulties forming and maintaining relationships. One told the court: “I’m not sure I know what love is.” She added: “I have built walls around me to protect myself from being hurt, but these walls also mean that nobody can get in.” The women also carried guilt into adulthood because, as children, they had been unable to prevent Siddall potentially committing further offences.
The investigation began after one of the survivors disclosed the historic abuse to a medical professional in 2022, leading to an initial report to police. When questioned about the allegations, Siddall denied them, responding “not true” and “no way”.
He was charged in April 2024 with one count of rape, one count of indecent assault on a girl under 16 and four counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14.
Following a trial at Kingston Crown Court in March, a jury convicted Siddall of all six offences. He was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on 14 July to 12 years’ imprisonment.
The sentence comprised 10 years for rape and two years for indecent assault, to run consecutively. Sentences totalling three years and three months for the remaining four indecent assault offences will run concurrently.
Investigating officer DC Fiona Clare said Siddall had occupied a position of trust in his victims’ lives and “exploited this in the worst possible way”.
She said: “It is possible that he will now spend the remainder of his life in prison. “Although this will not give the two survivors back the years of trauma they’ve lived through, I hope it brings them some relief to know that he is no longer able to hurt them or anyone else.
“Their courage is the reason Siddall is behind bars, and I hope that they can use this result as the starting point for the rest of their lives.”
