A WOMAN who claims that she was raped and abused as a teenager has told a court that she was “terrified” of the same thing happening again – but was determined to try to move on with her life.
She is one of three women accusing Shay John Edward Bester (50) of a string of sexual offences, which allegedly took place years ago.
Mr Bester – who was separately convicted of raping a teenager in 2023 – denies nine counts of rape, three counts of procuring an act of gross indecency, three of unlawful sexual intercourse and one of assault. His trial opened last Monday and continues this week.
Crown Advocate Emma Hollywood, prosecuting, said the three women came forward separately and without knowing the detail of what each were alleging – but that their stories were similar.
The third of the three alleged victims appeared in the Royal Court on Friday.
She claimed that she was raped a number of times and that Mr Bester procured an act of gross indecency by making her perform oral sex on him.
She described herself as “kind of frozen”.
“I did try to push him off me, but he just carried on,” she said, describing the incident as “a really horrible experience”.
Asked if she spoke to anyone about the alleged sexual assault, she said: “No, because I didn’t understand what was happening to me at the time.
“I didn’t really understand consent at the time and I didn’t want to do it. I was scared.”
She said that it took her meeting people outside of her “little bubble” to come forward.
“I had people around me, so that’s when I felt brave enough,” she added.
Asked about the impact the alleged offending had on her, she said: “It’s ruined relationships for me.
“I didn’t want to kiss, I didn’t want to be touched, I certainly didn’t want to have sex.”
She said she was “terrified” of similar incidents happening again, but was “trying to get on with [her] life”.
The woman also described taking drugs with Mr Bester, though when quizzed by the defence’s Advocate Olaf Blakeley, she said that she had willingly taken them.
In court yesterday, he argued that the woman had made “some exaggeration” in her evidence – which she denied.
Advocate Blakeley also put to her that she didn’t explicitly say “no” to each alleged rape, which the woman agreed with.
Commissioner Andrew Oldland is presiding. The trial continues today.
