A woman who endured child rape and fought tirelessly to see her abuser jailed has been subjected to a fresh ordeal caused by confusion over his prison release date.
The survivor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has revealed how the fluctuating release date of Peter King, her attacker, raised fears that he might be freed prematurely rather than completing his sentence for historic offences.
King, a pensioner and former taxi driver, was sentenced to 22 years in prison in June after a prolonged legal battle spearheaded by the victim, which even saw her qualify as a lawyer to seek justice.
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Presiding Judge Roderick Henderson ordered King to serve two-thirds of his sentence, amounting to 14 years and eight months.
King’s time in custody began in October 2025, setting an initial release date in July 2040. However, the victim was later informed by The Probation Service that his conditional release had been recalculated to October 2036, based on a different interpretation of release eligibility that considered half of the sentence served rather than the two-thirds stipulated.
Upon identifying the discrepancy, and after raising concerns with HM Prison and Probation Service, the victim was informed that King’s release date had been corrected back to July 2040.
The Ministry of Justice declined to apologise, attributing the issue to alterations in government policy aimed at managing prison capacity. The victim has formally complained about the matter, expressing profound exhaustion and distress over the renewed uncertainty.
“After over 20 years’ fight to see my abuser punished, this continual struggle has been utterly draining,” she said. “I shouldn’t have to scrutinise official documentation just to ensure that the judge’s sentence is respected.”
She criticised the Ministry of Justice’s response, highlighting the absence of an apology for a significant miscalculation.
“When given a release date, I depend on it as a crucial marker to rebuild my life and regain a sense of safety. Getting that wrong isn’t a minor administrative slip - it destroys the fragile peace I have. As someone living with severe trauma, I shouldn’t have to constantly demand truthful answers,” she stated.
The victim was abused by King during the 1990s and 2000s, after being groomed from the age of nine. She was one of three victims in total.
Although she reported King to the police in 2005, the case was not pursued at the time, partly due to skepticism surrounding her personal circumstances. Undeterred, she pursued a legal career as part of her mission to secure justice.
In 2018, an independent panel recommended re-investigating the case, leading to further inquiries despite closures in 2021. The Crown Prosecution Service later reversed that decision, resulting in King being found guilty last year of 15 offences of rape and indecent assault against three young girls.
An official letter from the Prison and Probation Service acknowledged the initial change in release date stemmed from the Independent Sentencing Review and related to government legislation at the time. It confirmed that later review excluded offenders convicted of rape from the Government’s new “progression model,” restoring King’s release date to July 2040.
The letter recognised that such changes might cause distress and confusion but did not include an apology.
The victim contends that an error occurred which could have gone uncorrected without her vigilance and legal expertise. She also accuses the Prison and Probation Service’s Offender Management Unit of applying draft policy without proper authority. Furthermore, she notes conflicting explanations from the Service regarding the timeline of events.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson maintained that King’s release date adjustments followed applicable government policies at the respective times.
Requests for formal comment from the Ministry remain outstanding.