OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Chapter Sixty-Two
Ethel's Testimony
Ethel felt shaky as she took her place at the stand and was up close to her attacker. She wasn't sure she had made the right decision anymore, he was smirking at her knowing how he was making her feel. The questioning was just about to get underway when the door burst open and Mr and Mrs Hallow of all people walked in, eyes like daggers, full of anger.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO OUR DAUGHTER?" Mrs Hallow shouted before the Judge spoke
"Quiet in the courtroom, sit down!" he told them as they took a seat and Ethel stared at them confused...it was almost as if they believed her over Norman but they had never believed her over anyone before. Ethel looked over at her family who looked equally as confused.
"Right well anyway" the prosecutor said bringing Ethel back to reality. "I want you to tell us your version of events" he told Ethel who nodded. She was terrified but hopefully this will be the last time she ever had to say what had happened in detail.
"That day I had been walking home from the library, it wasn't that late around six or seven but it was still as bright as the morning because it was July" Ethel said before the defence, who hadn't spoken yet started talking. Ethel knew this was normal as he was defending Norman. She had heard his name was Merlin Buckwheat.
"How did you know what time it was?" he asked as if it even mattered what time it had happened.
"I had a watch on" Ethel told him truthfully.
"Overruled, I don't see how the time matters much in this case, carry on please" the Judge said.
"I was walking when I got the feeling someone was following me, I could feel their presence behind me, I started to walk faster and was relieved when they turned into an alleyway" Ethel told the court before looking around seeing everyone was watching.
"I probably walked for a minute or two more before someone grabbed me from behind, covering my mouth, and dragging me into the alleyway" Ethel said before the defence spoke again.
"How do you know it was the same person who grabbed you who was following you?" he asked trying to catch her out.
"I don't know for sure, but it seems a bit coincidental" Ethel replied before carrying on her testimony. She couldn't let him try and twist things.
"The man pushed me onto the ground, I noticed straight away the scar on his face which is the same as the accused, It didn't take me long to realise that the man must be a wizard and he knew of me" Ethel said before the prosecutor spoke.
"What took you to that conclusion?" the man asked and Ethel explained
"He used a disabling spell on my powers, they wouldn't work, and I knew he knew of me as he knew that I had fears my family didn't love me and he told me they didn't, he also didn't seem shocked my parents were rich" Ethel said as people around the room nodded seeing how she had come to that conclusion.
"Anyway he stripped me and then he...raped me…." Ethel said choking a bit as she said the last two words.
"Why did you not try and fight back?" the attorney asked the girl trying to get to her.
"I did, I screamed and cried and fussed but he was just to strong for me" Ethel told him sickened he would try blame her for this. She didn't understand why anyone would defend someone like Norman when there was so much evidence against him.
"Ethel I know this is difficult but we need more details" the prosecutor told her and she sighed.
"He removed my clothes and started touching me, then he put his penis inside me when I said I didn't want him too, I don't know what else I can tell you" Ethel said growing annoyed at the stupid questions. What exactly was she supposed to say?
"What was he wearing that day?" the defence asked and Ethel had to refrain from rolling her eyes
"I don't know, I didn't get a good look as he was lying on my body" Ethel replied trying to not let herself get upset.
"No one is going to deny the fact you and him had intercourse because the DNA test proves he is the father of your child, the question is whether it was rape or consented sex" the Buckwheat went on "You see I know you say it was rape but you had a good reason for lying about it" the man said and Ethel looked at him confused.
"Well when you found out you were pregnant you knew how bad it would look, at thirteen to have landed yourself pregnant from having sex so you lied" the man said staring at Ethel
"Who would lie about something like that?" Ethel asked feeling disgusted
"You are known to be a liar Miss Hallow" the man said and Ethel looked at him insulted.
"Yes but not about something like this" Ethel said staring at him wide eyed and shocked.
"You probably meant to tell the truth eventually but once you started the lie you had to keep it up" the defence went on trying to upset Ethel and it was working.
"But I had no reason to lie" Ethel told the man and he laughed before answering
"Your parents abandoned you when they knew you had been attacked, that is the only reason you had any family left in the first place, your sisters stuck by you out of pity" he told Ethel and Esmerelda had to refrain from standing up and telling the man he was talking crap. Ethel took a breath though trying to stop the words hurting her but then she realised something. He was wrong.
"You are wrong" Ethel told him and the man looked at her shocked. She had tears streaming down her face, he thought he had broken her, he didn't think she would keep denying it.
"I didn't have to lie, if I had told Esmerelda and Sybil I had a one night stand and I was pregnant they would of being upset and angry, but not for long" Ethel told the man who narrowed his eyebrows confused.
"Believe it or not I have done worst things in my life than becoming pregnant as a teenager, I have betrayed my sisters more than once, one of my sisters had no powers for a year because of me but she forgave me after a few weeks, my sisters have never failed to support me, even when I have let them down, telling them I was pregnant wouldn't of made them leave me, I didn't have to lie to them about it, they would have supported me either way" Ethel said as she looked at her sisters and smiled, she had not thought of that before but she knew they wouldn't of abandoned her no matter what.
"My baby girl is the best thing that has ever happened to me, I am not ashamed of her, I would not lie about the way she was conceived because that would mean I was trying to hide the facts, and I never didn't want her, I would have said if I had had sex out of choice because my baby is nothing to be ashamed about" Ethel told the man who looked at her shocked.
"That man raped me and that is the truth of the matter" Ethel said before looking right at her rapist and smiling.
"I want to thank you, you gave me a beautiful daughter and a whole new family, none of it would have happened if it wasn't for you so thank you, you haven't broke me at all, you have improved my life" Ethel said as the rapist glared looking like he wanted to scream.
"Well you may go, now it is time for the jury to go and decide on if he is guilty or not" the judge said as everyone piled out. Ethel walked out and was instantly hugged by Julie.
"You did great honey" the woman told her proudly. She had to admit she had been worried Ethel would fall apart but she had done brilliant.
"Thanks" Ethel said hugging Sybil and then Esmerelda and even Mildred. She took Prue who giggled happy to see her mum and kissed her before she kept talking.
"I just hope I said enough" Ethel said worried he would be let off for what he did.
"If he is not let off I will personally be the one to see him home myself, by that I mean I will make sure he never forgets what he did" Esmerelda told Ethel who had such a look of anger in her eyes Ethel actually feared her.
"Hopefully it won't come to that and they will see sense" Mildred told her family
"There is loads of evidence after all" Sybil went on. Ethel nodded in agreement talking quietly to her family for a good half an hour before she stopped dead.
"Ethel" the blonde heard a voice from behind her then. A familiar voice. She turned to see the distraught faces of her parents. She had forgotten they were there in all honesty. She held Prue tighter, she wouldn't put it past them to try kidnap her.
"Mother, father" Ethel said nodding slowly and awkwardly not knowing what to say.
Ursula opened her mouth to say something but just then everyone was called back into the courtroom. It was time for the verdict. Ethel handed Prudence to Mildred so she could take each of her sister's hands, feeling it was important to do that right now, they were always stronger together.
"Come on let's go" Julie said as they walked into the courtroom and sat down and waited nervously for the sentence to be read out.