A TEENAGER who says she was sexually abused as a girl by a Helensburgh child rapist has told the Advertiser she still doesn’t understand why his ‘not guilty’ plea was accepted by prosecutors.

William Rigby, 53, was handed an order for lifelong restriction at the High Court in Glasgow last week after pleading guilty to sexually abusing three girls – and was told he would not be released from jail until the authorities are satisfied he is no longer a risk to children.

But when Rigby’s guilty pleas were lodged in March, prosecutors accepted his plea of not guilty to a further charge.

That alleged he had sexually abused another girl at a house in the Kirkmichael area of Helensburgh on an occasion between June 29 and August 15, 2012.

READ MORE: Helensburgh child rapist William Rigby told: You may never be released

That girl – who is not one of the victims Rigby admitted abusing – told the Advertiser, following his conviction earlier this year, that she had spoken to a teacher in 2013, following a talk on child abuse at her school, and that police were then contacted.

But no proceedings were raised against Rigby until further allegations of his abuse of other victims came to light last year.

Following Rigby’s sentencing last week, Police Scotland and the children’s charity NSPCC said they hoped the case would encourage other people to come forward and report their experiences of being abused.

But the teenager, who is now aged 17 and whom the Advertiser is not identifying, now says she feels as if she was never believed by the authorities.

READ MORE: Rigby 'could have been stopped – but no-one listened to me'

She said this week: “It’s as if I was never a victim – as if they believe he didn’t do it to me.

“It’s not something I ever wanted to be a part of and I feel like people do need to know how I feel and how I felt all these years.

“For all the pain I went through, for me just to not be mentioned at all is really upsetting. I tried to get him put away years ago.

“Why did the police come to my house, tell me everything that’s happened, and say that I could possibly need to stand in court?

“I was willing to do everything in my power for justice for myself, and yet nothing. Not one person knows that I went to the police years ago, apart from the people that called me a liar – they are the only people that know.”

READ MORE: Rapist filmed himself abusing five-year-old girl at a house in Helensburgh

A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “As part of our continuing duty to keep cases under review, Crown counsel decided to accept the accused’s plea of guilty to six sexual offences on March 13, 2019, at the High Court in Glasgow.

“On October 15, he was given an order for lifelong restriction with a punishment part of seven years and placed on the sex offenders register.

“Resolving a case by the acceptance of a plea spares victims and witnesses the need to give evidence and the distress and uncertainty that can be caused by a trial. In particular, it eliminates the risk of not obtaining a conviction following a trial, and involves an admission and acknowledgement of guilt on the part of accused person.

“The Crown kept the complainer and her family informed throughout proceedings.

“The procurator fiscal and Crown counsel met with the complainer in March 2019 to explain Crown counsel’s further consideration of the case and to address any questions they had.”

READ MORE: Rigby abuse 'some of the worst we've ever seen', say police

Speaking to the Advertiser in March, the teenager said she and her family had been forced to move away from Helensburgh area after rumours about what had happened began to circulate in the area.

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