After Two Decades, Justice Was Finally Served
As a member on a jury panel in 2018, Dan Cooper recognized he must chase accountability for his own case following sexually assaulted in 2004.
“When I heard the individuals giving evidence, I could distinctly imagine myself in the identical scenario,” he explained after waiving his privacy rights.
Following the court case, the presently 39-year-old from Norfolk’s Watton decided to approach the police a second time to disclose his perpetrator.
February 27, 2024, two decades following the assault, Shaun Gilder from the area of Oulton Broad was sentenced to an eight-year sentence in prison after being found guilty of dual offenses of sexual assault and one count of sexual penetration.
Warning - this report contains upsetting details
Dan was 17 when he encountered then 21-year-old the assailant in the city of Norwich in the year 2004, and their meeting evolved into his first relationship.
During a weekend evening in the May of 2004, the couple had gone to a BBQ when the perpetrator consumed excessive alcohol and instructed Dan to take him back.
At about midnight, the individual demanded Dan to pull over on a quiet road behind the medical facility in Gorleston, Norfolk.
The assailant violated Dan and resulted in serious internal injuries which resulted in him being admitted to hospital thrice that summer.
Traumatized, Dan was somehow able to take the perpetrator home before heading to his mom’s home.
“I remained in bed for hours thinking, ‘what just occurred? what transpired?’,” he stated.
In September that year, Dan went to the authorities and reported the incident.
He explained he had provided a statement at the time, but it was not advanced any beyond because he was “very ill at that juncture”.
His family members and additional relatives had no idea he was gay, he noted.
“Life was different at that time,” he commented.
Dan is now a project manager for the government sector, but he was once engaged in a prison, where he said he would find himself holding back emotions when inmates discussed their own abuse.
The survivor also mentioned he was attacked on the job, which also caused recurring memories.
“Then the jury service. Flashbacks back to the assault again. It was a continuous loop that needed to stop,” he expressed.
The female witnesses who helped secure a conviction in the 2018 hearing in which he was a juror were “inspirational”, according to Dan.
“It was incredibly moving to see them stepping forward and giving evidence and dealing with the tough interrogations being directed at them,” he commented.
“I was working at Stansted Airport as an immigration official at this time, and I had to take three weeks off for health reasons.
“That was when I once more notified [the attack] to the police and I petitioned to take it forward for me, which they consented to handle,” he added.
Disturbing Testimony
A pair of investigators from the authorities were allocated to Dan’s case in 2018, and it proceeded to a formal accusation and court case at the crown court in November 2023.
In his victim impact statement, Dan explained how he had been diagnosed with complex post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with the rape.
“I have had, and continue to have, recurring contemplations of suicide,” he stated.
One in four of female adults and approximately 6% of male adults have been the victims of sexual violence, or attempted sexual assault, as per the official statistics.
A recent study found that 44% of 180 individuals who were subjected to explicit testimony in trials reported symptoms consistent with PTSD.
“Historic incidents, mental health difficulties and immediate stress responses during a court case can worsen emotional and stress reactions,” experts highlighted.
Back in 2004, Dan’s mother approached the perpetrator when he visited her son in hospital after Dan had informed her what had transpired.
“An anger surged similar to flames internally. I was deeply enraged,” she remembered.
The individual exited and it was the final occasion she laid eyes on him.
When speaking to her son, she remarked: “I felt so proud of you for persisting with what you believed in and taking it all the way through. It was rightful vindication. You’d strived intensely.
“Emotionally, the experience deeply affected on you and we could observe how you had difficulties.”
Dan said his existing position as an emergency responder for Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service had contributed to the healing process.
“Assisting the community has given me something to focus on and find purpose in,” he shared.
He explained he now enjoyed his canine companions, mountain bikes and exploring new places.
Starting in May he has started to make digital content about his journey and uploads them on digital networks, where he now has 12,000 followers on the social platform.
“It has assisted a numerous others. The quantity of personal notes I’ve had to say it provided support is immense,” he stated. “{I’ve got to do
