Carvel Bennett
|
Carvel Bennett is a British man convicted of raping a teenager in Birmingham in the 1970s. His case, in which charges were brought by Bennett's daughter by the rape, is believed to be the first of its kind in British history.
Biography edit
In 1976, Bennett, who was 28, raped a 13-year-old girl who he was babysitting, causing her to get pregnant. She was pressured into not submitting a statement, meaning the police were unable to prosecute Bennett.
Years later in 2014, Bennett's daughter "Daisy", who had been put up for adoption, decided to use DNA testing to track down her father and have him prosecuted. The DNA test identified Bennett as her father, and also allowed her to track down her birth mother (who cannot be named for legal reasons). She attempted to bring charges against Bennett, as Britain has no Statute of Limitations for sexual offences, but was told she could not because she wasn't the victim of the crime.
Eventually, "Daisy" convinced her mother to agree to bring charges against Bennett. In court, he initially denied he was her father, but this was disproven by the DNA test she took. He then claimed that the sex had been consensual and the victim had lied about her age, but his victim's testimony refuted this and he was convicted in August 2021. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Sources edit
- Carvel Bennett: Rapist jailed after victim's daughter wins justice decades later, Sky News
- Exclusive: 'My campaign to jail paedophile dad who raped mum making her pregnant with me age 13', The Daily Mirror
- Daughter of Birmingham schoolgirl rapist wins change in law after turning detective, Birmingham Mail