A woman who suffered serious sexual abuse as a child told how she came forward to shame her attacker and “speak up” for other victims.

It earned the praise and admiration of a judge who said it showed her character and courage.

The woman’s victim impact statement was quoted as her abuser, 68-year-old Malcolm Coles, was jailed for 15 years.

He had repeatedly molested her and finally raped her more than 25 years ago while living in Sittingbourne.

She went to a police station in 2015 and reported she had been abused when a young child.

She described her ordeal and told how Coles kept asking her if it was nice and if she was enjoying it. He drunkenly raped her and was then sick.

Coles, who later moved to Wales, was convicted of one offence of rape, four of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child.

He was acquitted of two charges of rape, three of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child.

The victim told in her statement of the long lasting effect on her life.

“It demonstrates what has become familiar to the court of how serious these offences are,” Judge Martin Joy said at Maidstone Crown Court.

“She makes the heartbreaking point she is not going to have children. She lived a life of a childhood of nightmares. She has struggled with psychological problems since.

“She regards herself as unlovable. She finds she is unable to be involved in any physical relationship. She suffers from low self-esteem.

“She has panic attacks and frequently has flashbacks. She suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. She feels anger and has night terrors and hallucinates.

“She lives with the burden of what she calls shame.”

She stated: “My reason for coming forward now is a personal thing. Having lived with the burden or shame all my life, I now want to put the shame back on him.

“I feel there is still a stigma why people don’t come forward. If I can speak up for the child and help just one person it will be worth it.

“My aim is to be in a position to help others because of my experience.”

The judge said: “That is an attitude which demonstrates a woman of character. It can only be characterised as courageous.”

“My reason for coming forward now is a personal thing. Having lived with the burden or shame all my life, I now want to put the shame back on him" - Coles's victim

He told Coles, who denied all the charges: “I hope she will benefit from the fact the jury saw through your lies and you were found guilty.

“Your defence was essentially ludicrous. You called her a liar and it does you no credit at all. You should be deeply ashamed.

“This was a disgraceful course of misconduct and a crime committed for a lengthy period of time.”

Coles was said to now have serious physical and mental health problems.

His name will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.