Woman wants lessons learned after finding out via Facebook that abuser was dead

A woman who was abused by a swimming teacher when she was a child has said lessons must be learned after nobody alerted her that he was dead.

Robert Rixon, 77, who was serving a 25-year sentence at HMP Parc in Bridgend for sexually abusing five young girls, died in June.

But one of his victims, who was abused by Rixon when she was a child, has said the Ministry of Justice failed to alert her that he had died, and she instead had to find out through a post on social media.

She described the lack of communication as causing her a “great deal of pain” and worried other victims may be unaware he was dead.

Rixon was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court in 2022 after being found guilty of 28 charges of sexual assault, including one of rape.

Survivors deserve better and nobody should ever have to find out such distressing news in this manner

He abused three girls while working as a swimming instructor at Porthcawl Comprehensive between 2000 and 2005 and later assaulted two other girls while running a lifesaving club at Heronsbridge School in Bridgend between 2013 and 2015.

All the girls were aged between 11 and 13 years old at the time they were abused.

An investigation was launched in 2018 after one of the women came forward and reported she had been abused by Rixon as a girl. Four other victims were then identified by South Wales Police.

Dino Nocivelli, a solicitor at Leigh Day, who spoke on behalf of one of the women who was abused by Rixon said: “My client understandably feels emotionally conflicted after hearing of Rixon’s death but the greatest feeling is one of relief that this man can never abuse another child.

“The fact that my client only found out about his death randomly through Facebook rather than through official routes is something that has caused her a great deal of pain.

“Serious questions must now be asked of the Probation Service regarding the measures in place to inform survivors of the deaths of their abusers and whether other survivors of Rixon’s abuse have been informed of his death.

“Survivors deserve better and nobody should ever have to find out such distressing news in this manner.”

Mr Nocivelli said his client had been abused by Rixon over several years as a child and she finally achieved a conviction in 2022, four years after she first reported the abuse to the police.

He added: “She feels cheated by the slow pace of the criminal justice system and that Rixon only served about 18 months of a 25-year prison sentence.

I increasingly see the impact of delays in the criminal justice system and it is one that needs to be rectified immediately because as shown in this case, justice delayed is justice denied

“My client continues to live with the impact of Rixon’s abuse and sadly faces a life sentence of trauma.

“As a lawyer who specialises in representing child abuse survivors, I increasingly see the impact of delays in the criminal justice system and it is one that needs to be rectified immediately because as shown in this case, justice delayed is justice denied.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We always want to ensure victims are kept up-to-date through the victim contact scheme and we have since updated our practices so that victims are called to confirm letters relevant to their case have been received.”

There have been a series of deaths at HMP Parc this year, with 10 deaths announced at the prison between February and May this year.

Many of the deaths at the prison have been related to substance misuse.

It is understood that Rixon’s death was unrelated to drugs.

A HMP Parc spokesperson said: “Mr Robert Rixon, aged 77, passed away in a local hospital on Monday 17 June 2024. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

“As with all deaths in custody, this will be investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and the cause of death is for the coroner to determine.”

Sexual assaults or abuse can be reported via 101, or to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.