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Chapter Sixty
Statement
As soon as she woke the next morning, Julie contacted Josephine and told her to tell the Great Wizard what was going on as she didn't know how else to help the girls. When she didn't hear back she didn't think much of it, until a knock came on her door and two policewoman entered. One had dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail and one had chestnut coloured hair which was short and curly.
"We have being told about a case of rape and would like to take a statement" the dark haired woman said. Julie sighed. She knew they had to call the police because Ethel was a minor and she also knew seeing the man put away would help, but she knew it would not be easy for Ethel.
"NO" Ethel said once Julie told her and she burst into tears. Apart from the time she confessed to Esmerelda and the time she told everyone in the hall what had happened she had not spoken about it again. Julie knew how hard it would be for her to talk about but knew it was important.
"Ethel...this man is still out there….I know you love Prue...but do you want another young girl to go through this?" Julie asked her and Ethel shook her head.
"Then you need to be brave, it is time you got justice for your ordeal, you are strong Ethel, you can do this" Julie told her and that was how Ethel agreed to give the statement.
A few minutes later Ethel was sat in the front room opposite the officers ready to give her statement. Being so young Julie asked if she could stay with her and they agreed.
"Now Ethel I know this attack was more than a year ago, so if there is any detail you don't remember.." one of the officers started to say but Ethel cut them off.
"I remember it like it was yesterday, I see it every time I close my eyes, I think about it everyday, I could not forget it" Ethel told them and Julie felt her heart break as she realised Ethel suffered even though she had gotten good at hiding it.
"Okay, well we need you to tell us as much as we can about that night" one officer said and Ethel sighed, feeling nauseous but knew she had to do this. For herself, for her daughters future and for her sisters and any other girls before he struck again.
"I was walking home from the library carrying some books, I was alone as I had gone out early, it was around six in the evening but still as bright as any other time in the day because it was summer, whilst I was walking I started to get a feeling I was being followed" Ethel explained looking at the carpet as she spoke.
"So what did you do?" one of the woman asked writing in her notepad.
"I felt uncomfortable so started to walk faster and then he turned a corner so I carried on walking feeling calmer, but he was clever, he walked around the back alleys and grabbed me from behind pulling me back into one, I dropped my books as he roughly pushed me onto the floor" Ethel told them in a serious tone.
"He lay on top of me then, winding me, maybe I was naive but I didn't realise his intentions then but I just knew I had to get him off me, I tried to curse him to throw him off but I realised my magic was not working, he must have used a disabling spell on my powers" Ethel told them as she watched them write. Ethel could tell they were magical police from the robes they wore and the symbol on their clothes, plus it was a magical crime so the Great Wizard would call magical police, so she knew she could talk about magic.
"When I realised I had no powers I bit his hand but he didn't like that at all and he punched me in the face, I blackened out then so I don't remember some of what happened" Ethel told them.
The officers nodded and the older one with chestnut coloured hair spoke. "That is okay, tell us what you remember when you woke up" she told Ethel.
"When I woke I felt him….playing with my jeans button and I realised in that moment what he was going to do with me so I started to scream and fuss with him but he was strong and….he..." Ethel said coming closer to the bit where she was attacked ans starting to choke.
"I know this is difficult Ethel but we need as much information as possible" one of the woman told the girl sympathetically. Ethel nodded and took a breath before continuing. "He then proceeded to undress me, and scared and not knowing what else to do I tried to blackmail him by telling him my parents would sue him….but he told me that my parents were rich but they didn't love me….that they won't care….I didn't think much of it at the time but afterwards I knew he must at least know my mother and father" Ethel said looking at the carpet again. She knew she could get in trouble for trying to blackmail him but she knew this time not to hide it, it would come out eventually in the trial.
Julie shook her head in disbelief, he had hurt Ethel so much before he even did anything to her. The man knew she was worried about being rejected and not believed.
"He then took his trousers off and I felt him…." Ethel said trailing off as she choked again and she let a tear fall. Julie grabbed her hand and squeezed it, glad the rest of the girls were not in here. They didn't need to hear this again.
"It is okay hun" Julie told her rubbing her hand
"He told me he would get me pregnant….I didn't know what to say or do...I knew it was pointless fighting as I couldn't win, he used my shock to his advantage and ….r..r..raped me then..." Ethel said as more tears fall as she started to cry recalling the horrible moment out loud.
"It was agony…..I don't know how long it lasted but it felt like hours though it was probably only a few minutes" Ethel said crying into her hands. The officers smiled sympathetically again at Ethel. They knew this must be hard for her.
"Once he left I dressed, grabbed the books so no-one questioned why I came home without any and went and sat in a cafe until it closed before returning home, I lied to my sister and said I was mugged as I couldn't bare to tell her the truth, I tried to block it out, forget about it, pretend it didn't happen but then I missed my period, I told myself it was nothing as I knew shock or trauma could mess cycles up but then I started having funny turns whilst transferring with my class and being sick and even before I took the pregnancy test I knew I was pregnant" Ethel explained remembering how scared she had been to realise that because it meant she couldn't forget about what had happened.
Julie squeezed her hand tightly knowing how much the girl must of suffered with keeping both secrets at that time. She must have felt so alone.
"I told my sister eventually and then the story got out" Ethel said with a shrug not knowing what else to say.
"Ethel I must ask, you have accused Norman Frogspawn of being your attacker, we believe you but we must ask how you know it was him, we need all the evidence we can get" one of the officers asked and Ethel nodded in understanding.
"Well he was dressed in dark clothes so I couldn't see anything special about his body but he wasn't wearing a mask, I assume he wanted me to see him but he had a large scar on his cheek and a long pale face, as soon as I saw...that man in the picture my parents had I knew" Ethel said shaking a little as she heard the name of her attacker for the first time.
"Will you be taking him in for questioning?" Julie asked rubbing Ethel's back gently to try and comfort her.
"Yes, I just hope we have enough evidence to build a case" the dark haired officer said knowing without evidence they had no case. Ethel sighed thinking her statement might of being for nothing.
"Ethel..." the other office said carefully as if she was scared of what she had to say next "I was wondering if we could take a DNA sample from you and your baby, if we are able to prove through DNA testing that he is the father our case would be much easier" she said gently.
"I am not lying!" Ethel said thinking they thought she was lying about being raped and him being the father.
"We know Ethel" Julie told her "But in court if there is a DNA test that is hard evidence against him and will prove his guilt" Julie told her thinking she misunderstood the question.
"Will it hurt her?" Ethel asked not wanting Prue in pain.
"Not at all, it will just be a swab from her mouth" one of the officer's told her and Ethel nodded knowing it was for the best.
"Alright, you may do it" Ethel told them as she was given a swab to take her own sample and then led them to Prue's room to take one from her. Ethel waved goodbye to them holding Prue, they said they would be in touch.
"How did it go?" Mildred asked hoping Ethel had not got to upset.
"I told them as much as I could" Ethel replied as she looked at Esmie who was still lying down sadly. She walked over to her and sat next to her.
"Don't be upset Esmie, I have a feeling it will be okay" Ethel told her knowing what had happened last night and why she was upset.
"It won't be, that man ruined your life" Esmerelda replied trying to get Ethel's screaming out of her mind.
"If it wasn't for him Prue wouldn't exist and I don't regret her, I am happy Esmie, yes he damaged me in a way I will never recover but he has not ruined my life, he has if anything made it better as I wouldn't have a family now if it wasn't for what happened" Ethel told Esmerelda realising that day and in that moment he was the cause of her having a baby she loved with all her heart, being adopted and getting her away from her parents and her happiness and change in personality. He had stolen a part of her she would never get back but he had unbeknown improved her life. He had stolen her childhood, but Ethel had much more because of it.
Esmerelda smiled. Hearing Ethel was happy made her feel so much better and she had never thought about anything Ethel said like that before. The older blonde grabbed Ethel and hugged her relieved. She stroked Prue on the head happily and smiled.
"Are you sure Ethie?" Esmie asked still haunted by the night prior.
"I am positive, the rape was awful but I gained so much more because of it" Ethel told her sister hugging her back and smiling. Julie smiled relieved, hoping this bad patch was going to end.