CHARITIES have praised the courage of a rape victim who spoke out about her ordeal and said it will help others to come forward in future.

Campaigners against sexual abuse said Amy Groves, now 24, who was abused alongside her sister Emma by their step-father, will empower other survivors to "break their silence".

They also praised Emma, now 26, who did not want to talk publicly about what had happened but took the brave decision to waive her anonymity to allow her sister to tell their story.

Both were indecently assaulted, and Amy raped, on numerous occasions by Mark Gearing from the age of seven and nine.

It continued until Amy was 14 and, after initially reporting the abuse in 2006, ten years of torment came to an end at Lewes Crown Court earlier this month when Gearing, 48, was found guilty and jailed for 16 years.

Speaking exclusively to The Argus, Amy called on schools to educate children over the dangers of grooming and said there is not enough training or support for parents in trying to deal with abuse.

Maggie Ellis, psychosexual therapist and director of Chichester-based Lifecentre, said: "Amy and Emma have taken a courageous decision to speak out publicly about the childhood sexual abuse they suffered.

"We hope this will empower other survivors to also break the silence and find the support they need.

"There is no shame on those who suffer someone else’s abuse - the shame is all on the perpetrators.

"Speaking out, whether confidentially to a service like ours, or more publicly, is a powerful step to breaking the damaging effects of abuse."

Katie Russell of national charity Rape Crisis added: "To survive long-term sexual violence like this is incredibly courageous; to speak out about it in order to support other survivors and educate the general public is amazing.

"We all need to talk more about child sexual abuse so we can ensure survivors get the support and justice they deserve, and to end all forms of sexual violence."

Gearing, who grew up in Portslade and was latterly of Princess Avenue in Worthing, denied the seven counts of rape and seven counts of indecent assault against him, even after a jury at his retrial unanimously found him guilty. A jury could not come to a decision at his initial trial last year.

At his sentencing on August 15, Judge Charles Kemp told the court Gearing had led "a secret and dark life".

He said: "You were in a position of trust but instead you abused [the girls] for your own sexual gratification."

Gearing got 16 years in prison, with an additional four on licence, and will also be subjected to an order preventing him from living in any household with any child under the age of 16 or having any unsupervised contact with any female under the age of 16.

He is also subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life.