Isle of Wight councillor Daryll Pitcher has taken the stand to defend himself against allegations of historic child sex abuse.
Councillor Pitcher is charged with 2 counts of rape between June 1990 and March 1992 and 1 of indecent assault of a girl under 13 years old, by having sexual intercourse, between March and June 1990 – something that 46-year-old Pitcher has always denied.
Although he knew the alleged victim as a child he said he had no knowledge of the incidents, he told the court yesterday (Thursday).
The statement Mr Pitcher originally gave police after he was arrested in February 2022 was read to the jury. In it, Mr Pitcher denied ever raping or sexually assaulting the woman. He said they used to play together as children but he never touched her in a sexual way and did not know why she was saying he had done this.
Earlier this week, the alleged victim told jurors Mr Pitcher had raped her twice as a child, when he was a child himself.
Speaking in court on Thursday, Mr Pitcher said when he was arrested he was dumbstruck and felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under him. Since then, he said his work life has been a struggle and agreed the allegations put against him were ‘untrue and complete fiction’.
Mr Nick Tucker, prosecuting, questioned Mr Pitcher’s decision in his police interview not to answer questions — instead providing a written statement. Mr Tucker called on Mr Pitcher’s role in politics, and his ability to speak in public and ‘articulate himself in difficult situations under pressure’. He said Mr Pitcher would have been well equipped to answer the police’s questions and wondered if he had anything to hide.
Mr Pitcher disagreed and said when he is asked to speak he is normally briefed and does not go in blind.
When speaking to the police he said he was outside of his comfort zone with no idea what was going on and incredibly stressed. He said it would have been ‘foolhardy to try and answer questions on something he did not understand.’
The woman has denied making up allegations, after being challenged by Mr Pitcher’s defence counsel Ben Dyer. She said the alleged incidents had been ingrained in her memory and that she had never forgotten what had happened.
The trial continues today on what was expected to be the last day of the trial, but the case has now been listed to continue next week.
perhaps the man being accused is given anonymity, just like the accuser – innocent until proven guilty
exactly lucas – the state seems happy to take this womans word and publish the name and face of the man being accused, yet his accusation of her lying, doesn’t afford him anonymity also – a bias towards the woman here
where is the equality for the man being accused – his life and career are being ruined on someones say so, without evidence.