“He stole my chance to experience a normal childhood.”

Those were the words of a victim that were read out in court ahead of Graham Southwell’s sentencing this afternoon.

The convicted paedophile was sentenced to 39 years in HMP Windmill Hill today – after he was found guilty of 19 child sex offences by Gibraltar’s Supreme Court last October.

Several emotional victim impact statements were read out by lawyers at the Supreme Court this morning – whilst persons in the public gallery sat crying.

The offences against five victims took place between 1990 and 2016 and included the rape of a child under 13 and sexual activity with a child.

In a packed court, Southwell was described as a “predator,” “coward” and a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” – who did “unspeakable things” to his young victims.

Commenting on the sentence, the Commissioner of the Royal Gibraltar Police, Richard Ullger, said: “We hope this sentence sends a clear message that our officers will relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who sexually assault children, whenever that abuse took place.

“Our thanks go out to everyone who was involved in supporting this extremely complex, protracted and sensitive investigation. Most importantly, we want to thank the victims in this case, who have shown such tremendous courage in reporting these heinous crimes and for their trust in the RGP to bring Southwell to justice.

“Our Safeguarding Team have worked hard to collect evidence and it is an example of the unseen policing that many of our specialised teams do.”

Detective Sergeant Jo Ullger, who heads the RGP’s Safeguarding Team, continued: “We commend the victims for their bravery in coming forward and supporting our investigation. I hope this sentence will bring them some closure and help them to move on with their lives. 

“As this case shows, we treat all reports of non-recent sexual offences seriously and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.

“This case has taken an emotional toll on our Safeguarding Team and we are pleased with today’s sentence.”

Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse – no matter how long ago – is urged to report it to the RGP by calling 200 72500 or reporting it on the RGP website at www.police.gi/report/crime