A mum has told how her
life was almost completely ruined after she was raped by her son’s former best
friend.
Carlyn Thompson, who
has waived her right to anonymity, had known Gregory Houslin since he was 14.
But in 2005, Houslin,
then 23, visited Carlyn and raped her after she made him a cup of tea.
Houslin, now 38, was
jailed for five-and-a-half years for rape.
Carlyn, who is keeping
details of her location secret because she still fears Houslin, is now speaking
out to let other victims know there is hope.
The 58-year-old
retired teacher said: “He nearly ruined my life but I’m now trying to move forward
and let other women know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
They met in 1996 when
Carlyn’s sons Matthew and Dom brought Houslin home after school.
She said: “He was
polite and seemed like a typical teenage boy. After that, whenever I came home
from work, Gregory was always upstairs with my sons, listening to music and
playing games.”
Years passed, and in
2002, Carlyn’s sons moved out after finishing school.
Houslin remained
friendly with Carlyn, visiting her twice a year.
On the day of the
attack, Carlyn let him in for a cup of tea and they chatted about work and
family.
She said: “I realised
it was late and I told Gregory I should get some sleep.
“I opened the front
door, expecting him to leave, but he told me he wasn’t going anywhere.”
She tried to phone
Matthew, who lived across the street, but got no answer.
She tried to get
Houslin out for 20 minutes but he refused. Then he gripped her by the arms and
pulled her on to a sofa.
Carlyn said: “I was
still holding my phone so I dialled 999 but I dropped it before I could find
the call button. Then Gregory ripped my trousers and underwear off.
“I screamed, ‘I’m being raped. Help me!’ But
no one came. Gregory put his hand over my mouth. Then he raped me.”
Afterwards, Carlyn
grabbed her phone and escaped to the bathroom, where she called police.
Houslin then appeared
behind her. She said: “Moments later, I heard sirens outside, so I pushed past him
and sprinted out the front door.
“My sons were
distraught and couldn’t believe what he had done.”
In September 2005,
Houslin, of Watford, was found guilty of rape at
St Albans Crown Court.
He was released four
years later and Carlyn got a shock when she bumped into him in a cafe.
In 2014, she moved to
Scotland. She said: “I’m finally coming to terms with what happened.”