SCANNING the words on the paper, Rachael Smith felt sick to her stomach.
She’d stumbled across a character witness statement, written by her mother, defending the man who’d sexually abused her as a child.
Yet, manipulated by the seemingly loving family, her mum, Steph, 43, had no idea prolific sex offender, Steven Freitas, had raped Rachael, 23, from the age of three, while in his mother’s care.
Rachael was preyed upon by evil predator, Freitas, 34, until the age of six in his family home, where she was cared for by her childminder, who her mother once considered a good friend.
Under the guise of taking her to the toilet, Freitas coaxed her into the downstairs bathroom to assault her.
Unbeknownst to Rachael, when she was six, Freitas was arrested and convicted of sexually abusing two other girls under 13 in his mother’s care.
Not knowing of her own daughter’s abuse, Rachael’s mother, Steph, wrote a statement in Freitas’ favour, declaring that he’d ‘never do something like that’, that she believed the victims’ claims were ‘untrue’.
It wasn’t until over a decade later that Rachael discovered the statement and confessed her own abuse to her mother, who was justly horrified.
In June this year, Freitas was jailed for five years for rape and sexual assault by penetration.
Rachael, from Hertfordshire, has bravely waived her right to anonymity to encourage other survivors to speak out against their abusers.
The recovery worker says: “For so long I kept this terrible secret.
“When I found Mum’s statement I felt sick to my stomach he’d had other victims.
“Steven had managed to manipulate my own mother into thinking he was innocent.
“When she found out about what he’d done to me, she was beside herself with guilt.
“I’m just glad he’s finally behind bars where he belongs.”
Rachael was just four months old when she started being cared for by her childminder, Freitas’ mother, who was a close family friend.
Rachael remembers: “I saw Steven’s mother like a second mum.
“I loved going to her house and playing with the other children.”
Only, everything changed when Rachael turned three.
One day, in 2004, Freitas, then aged 11, coaxed her into the downstairs toilet, in the guise of taking her for a wee.
She says: “While inside, he took off my underwear and started touching my privates.
“He told me it was ‘our secret’.
“I was only young so thought it was normal and agreed.”
The abuse escalated and Freitas began making Rachael sit on his lap, naked and touch him too.
Months later, he raped her for the first time.
She recalls: “I just remember how painful it felt.
“I wanted to get it over and done with and go back to playing.”
Most weeks, while she was being looked after, Freitas took her into the toilet multiple times to abuse her, including orally raping her.
Offering to plait her hair or play games with her afterwards.
For three years he used her as his play thing.
“If I ever tried to tell I’m ‘no’, he threatened me – said he’d make my younger sister, Katie, then two, do it instead.
Rachael Smith
“Desperate to protect her, I kept quiet.
“Another time I tried to resist, he told me he’d tell my mum to hate me, It was awful.”
Once, aged six, Rachael refused to go with Freitas to the bathroom.
But he forced her inside and raped her again.
Soon after, Rachael stopped going to her childminder’s house.
Unbeknownst to Rachael, Freitas had been arrested for sexually abusing two children in his mother’s care.
In September 2008 then aged 17, he was convicted at St Alban’s Crown Court of seven counts of sexual assault of a female child under 13 in respect of two victims, aged 7 and 9.
He was sentenced to an 18-month Detention and Training Order.
His mum’s business subsequently shut down.
Over the following years, Rachael blocked out the abuse and buried it inside.
At school, aged ten, she learnt about sex education.
She says: “Everything came flooding back and I realised what had happened was wrong.
“I asked my teacher questions like, ‘how long does sperm live inside you’? and ‘can kids get pregnant’? as I was terrified I was.
“They should’ve picked up on those signs, as they’re not normal questions for kids to ask.”
Steps to Keep Your Child Safe From Grooming
By Emma Kenny, true crime psychologist and parenting expert
- Encourage your child to share their day-to-day experiences. Ask who they talked to on the way home, what happened at the bus stop, and if anything made them feel uncomfortable. The more openly you talk, the more confident they’ll be to speak up if something feels off.
- If possible, arrange for your child to walk or travel with friends. Identify safe spaces along the route, trusted neighbours or shops where they can go if they feel threatened.
- Groomers often switch to online contact once they’ve made initial in-person connections. Monitor your child’s digital devices in a respectful but proactive way. Agree on ground rules for social media use, and encourage them to show you anything that makes them feel uneasy.
- If your parental alarm bells are going off, do not dismiss those feelings. Challenge unusual behaviour or new relationships gently but firmly. Seek professional advice if you suspect your child is at risk.
- If you have any evidence or strong suspicions that someone is grooming your child, contact the police immediately. Support and guidance from organisations like the NSPCC or Barnardo’s can also be invaluable in helping you navigate this distressing situation.
Afterwards, Rachael developed OCD and Tourette’s.
She’d have rituals where she’d wash her hands multiple times and talk to her teddies, telling them ‘don’t kill my family’.
She says: “I had such intrusive and violent thoughts.
“I hated my body and felt ashamed and embarrassed.
“I began having nightmares and panic attacks.”
Then, in March 2013, Freitas pleaded guilty to another two offences of sexual activity (penetrative) with a female child under 16.
He was sentenced to five years custody with an extended license period of eight years.
As she grew into her teens, Rachael experienced further problems.
She entered toxic relationships and found intimacy painful.
Rachael says: “I knew it was all down to the abuse.”
Then, in November 2020, when she was 17, she stumbled across her mum’s character witness statement while looking for some documents for a job application.
She says: “I was horrified reading what she’d said about Steven.
“He’d convinced her he was innocent.
“The fact that she’d defended him made me feel sick.
Rachael Smith
“Knowing he’d had other victims, I felt guilty I’d let him hurt others.”
For the next year, Rachael stewed on her findings.
Until one day, she plucked up the courage to report Steven to the police.
She says: “I gave my statement and they were so supportive.
“The detective in charge was on the original case involving Steven so she believed me straight away.
“Two weeks later, I confessed to Mum via text.
“She felt so guilty she’d defended him, unknowingly.
“Was horrified at how monstrous he actually was.”
At his trial this month, Rachael bravely gave her evidence.
She explains: “His defence were awful.
“Said I was crazy and making it all up.
“They even asked me what I was wearing.
“As a three-year-old?
“It was disgusting and so draining.”
This time, Rachael’s mother was called to the stand to give evidence for the prosecution.
Steph, 43, says: “Steven’s mother was a registered childminder and good friend of my family.
“She lived opposite my parents.
“I always thought Steven was immature for his age and behind developmentally and socially.
I had no idea the monstrousness he was capable of.
Steph, Rachael's mother
“When Steven was arrested for the first abuse case, I didn’t think the allegations were true.
“I couldn’t imagine such a thing happening in a seemingly loving home.
“His mum was in tears and I felt sorry for her.”
Steph wrote a character witness statement for court, after Steven’s mother asked for her help and she fully supported the family during the trial.
She explains: “I will always regret doing that now.
“Receiving Rachel’s text made me feel numb.
“I couldn’t cope knowing how much he hurt and traumatised her.
“It breaks my heart I couldn’t protect her.
“I hate him for what he’s done.”
This June, Steven, 34, was found guilty of sexual offences against Rachael at St Alban’s Crown Court.
Rachael, who is now calling for parents to educate their children on their anatomy, boundaries and consent, says: “Knowing he’s been taken off the streets gives me some comfort.
“He’s now known as a sex offender so people know what a danger he is.
“Finally, he’s been exposed for the vile creature he is.
“I’m certain he’s got more victims out there.
“I want to let other survivors know, it’s never their fault and they should never feel ashamed.
“I’ve finally spoken my truth and no longer feel any guilt or shame.”
Paedo sentences are too leniant, says crime boss
National Crime Agency boss Graeme Biggar joined The Sun in pushing for tougher punishments for paedophiles.
His crackdown call comes as yet another soft-justice case emerged.
Trainee teacher Jacob Chouffot, 26, was spared prison despite sharing vile videos of newborn babies being abused.
Ex-BBC presenter and dad-of-five Edwards, 63, escaped with a suspended jail term after he paid £1,500 for images and videos he branded “amazing”, including one of a child aged between seven and nine.
Shockingly, 80 per cent of those convicted of possessing indecent images of children avoid prison.
The Sun’s Keep Our Kids Safe campaign calls for the jailing of those with the most serious images.
The Government launched a sentencing review earlier this month and Mr Biggar stressed: “It is not just the viewing of images that is causing harm.
“This is creating a market for and sometimes directly encouraging people to sexually abuse and rape children and video themselves doing it. So it does need to be taken really seriously.
“We are obviously conscious of the fact that prisons are pretty full and recognise that not everyone needs to be sent to prison.
“The NCA will not be arguing that every sentence needs to go up, and every crime needs to end in jail. That’s not practical in terms of prison population and not necessary in terms of the evidence in terms of keeping the public safe.
“But there are some crimes that do require prison sentences and I don’t think the balance at the moment is right.
“I hope that’s something that the Government will be looking at in the review.”
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