Denis Coles caught 50 years after rape of girl, 11

A woman whose rapist has been caught nearly 50 years after she was attacked on her way home from Girl Guides has said she is still “going through hell”.

Denis Coles, 73, was charged with rape but during his trial he was deemed unfit to plead on the basis of cognitive impairment, meaning he has difficulty processing and understanding information.

A jury at Cardiff Crown Court heard a trial of the facts and found that Coles raped the girl in the city in 1977.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke gave him a two-year supervision order and he must also sign the sex offenders register.

Coles, who now lives in a care home in Rumney, Cardiff, was 26 at the time of the attack.

He appeared before the court via video link, with white hair and wearing a blue jumper, sitting in a large armchair.

South Wales Police reopened the cold case in 2019, using new DNA techniques to re-examine samples which pointed to Coles.

An impact statement written by the victim, who cannot be named, called it “the most traumatic night of my life” and she said her childhood was taken from her “in the blink of an eye”.

She added: “In my eyes, Denis Coles knew exactly what he was doing that night, waiting at the top of the hill for his victim to walk past. Unfortunately, that victim was me.”

A trial of facts means the jury can only find the person guilty of the act, rather than of a criminal offence.

The court heard the victim was usually met by her mum for the short walk home from Girl Guides, but on that day her younger brother had been unwell, so she was alone.

On the way, a man with a bike stopped her and asked for the time, before dragging her away and raping her.

After the attack, Coles ordered her to count to 50 before she moved while he rode off.

She then ran home and told her mum what had happened and a man from the area was arrested but was found not guilty when the case went to court.

Speaking after the case, the victim said she was “blown away” by police catching her attacker after all these years.

“To anybody who’s out there who thinks they have got away with something, DNA and technology these days are absolutely amazing,” she said.

She added that, while she understood why Coles could not been convicted, the outcome meant she had not got justice.

“I didn’t expect any more to tell you the truth, but I don’t think the justice was what I deserved.”

She said the trial of facts meant “going through a nightmare again” but it now meant she was looking forward to a “bright” future.

“I just carry on. You’ve got to… I’m a stronger person, thank goodness.”

Judge Lloyd-Clarke said semen found on tapings taken from the victim’s clothing was compared to the defendant’s DNA and “there was a match probability of at least one billion”.

She added: “There is no doubt that if the defendant had been fit to plead, even at his age, he would have received a very substantial custodial sentence.

“There cannot be anything but considerable sympathy for [the victim], she was the victim of an horrendous offence at a very young age.”

Handing Coles the supervision order, she said: “I have taken into account that other people live and work in the care home and that there may be children present visiting other residents.

“Therefore, I am satisfied that the defendant requires supervision from the probation service.”

Speaking after the hearing, Det Supt Tom Moore of South Wales Police said he was “relieved for the victim”, adding: “She has shown an incredible amount of strength and trust in us as an organisation to get justice for her.

“Yes, it’s been an awfully long time since this incident happened, but I think what this does show is that length of time is no barrier at all for justice to be served.

“[Perpetrators] really should be worried, because we will track you down and we will arrest you and we will bring you to justice.”

He added he would encourage any victim, no matter how long ago offences took place, to contact the force.