Fife man on trial accused of raping two young girls

A Fife man has gone on trial accused of raping two young girls and a catalogue of sex abuse going back to the early 1980s.

A woman told the High Court in Dunfermline today she was repeatedly assaulted in play areas including a tree house, a field and an abandoned house, all in Cowdenbeath.

It is alleged one of the victims was lifted from her bed, placed on a table and raped.

In the dock is William Walls (47), of Primmer Place, Cowdenbeath, facing four charges which he denies.

It is alleged that on various occasions between 15th July 1981 and 20th April 1989, at an address in Primmer Place, a caravan at Arthur Place, an abandoned house in the High Street, an area of ground beside Seco Place dump, an outbuilding at Primmer Place, in a field near to Randolph Street and within a tree-house near Primmer Place, he used lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards a girl who was aged between four and 12 years between those dates.

Also, that on various occasions between 21st April 1984 and 20th April 1989 at an abandoned house at High Street, within a tree house and in a field near to Randolph Street, he raped the same girl.

It is further alleged that on various occasions between 3rd February 1987 and 2nd February 1991 at two addresses in Cowdenbeath, he used lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards a second girl, who was aged between seven and 10 years at that time.

Also, that on an occasion between 3rd February 1989 and 2nd February 1991, at an address in Cowdenbeath he carried the same girl from her bed, placed her on a table, lifted up her night dress and raped her to her injury.

The victim in the first two charges said the offences happened regularly when she would be out playing with friends around the town.

“It happened for years. It happened regularly between the first time and the last time,” she told the court.

The woman said she was “too scared” to tell anybody about the abuse at the time. She told her husband many years later when she “kept getting flashbacks and memories”. However, she did not name Walls.

She gave a statement to police last year.

The woman said she thought she was about six or seven when she was abused by Walls in a caravan.

She told the court about the last alleged assault in a field. “When he hurt me, I kicked him off and managed to climb a fence. He was shouting ‘I’m going to tell your dad’. I ran home. I was petrified after that when anyone came to the door. I thought it was him coming to tell my dad.”

The woman said she had not told her dad because he was an alcoholic and she feared the stress would have led to him drinking more.

The trial before Lord Beckett continues.