THE victims who were "brutalised" by serial rapist Lord Joseph Lowther have been praised for their bravery and ensuring he is now behind bars.

The dad-of-three raped children and women over the course of two decades – including an horrific attack on a 12-year-old schoolgirl in a van in Cowdenbeath – until he was finally caught and found guilty of a campaign of sexual offending.

At sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, Lowther, 42, who is not a peer and changed his name by deed poll, was sent to prison for 12 years.

National prosecutor for High Court Sexual Offences, Fraser Gibson, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “Lord Joseph Lowther was a danger to women and girls for many years.

"His victims were often too scared of him to report their horrifying experiences and felt they had to keep it secret.

“But justice has caught up with this man. The women he brutalised deserve our thanks and commendation for their courage in speaking out.

“They allowed the expert prosecutors at COPFS to ensure Lowther faced the consequences of his heinous behaviour.

“I would encourage all victims of similar offending – no matter how long ago it may have occurred – to come forward, report it and seek help.”

Lowther was convicted on six charges of rape and sexual assault following a trial last month.

A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh heard how his crimes dated back to late 2000 when he dragged a 12-year-old girl into a van in Cowdenbeath and raped her at knifepoint.

Some 18 years after this attack, Lowther repeatedly raped and assaulted a 10-year-old girl after luring her to his van and to secluded woodland areas.

He attacked his five victims at various Fife locations, while one rape occurred at a caravan site in Moray.

He further subjected a woman he knew through mutual friends to a serious sex assault while she was asleep and incapable of consent.

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