Victim of horrific domestic abuse appalled at early release of stepfather who made her eat dog poo

A victim who fought for years for justice to see her abuser jailed has been left devastated after he was freed this week as part of the government's controversial early release scheme.

Miriam Lake, from Bradwell in Norfolk, was subjected to years of violence and mental cruelty from the age of nine at the hands of her stepfather Michael Egan.

Ms Lake only found out by email that the man who had abused her so cruelly as a child was to be released this week.

The probation service admitted the news would be unwelcome and apologised for any distress caused.

Ms Lake suffered said: “I know that the prisons are full and I understand that but why should the victims of abuse be punished for that?

"They’ve already been punished enough - why should they have to go through anymore suffering?”

Egan is one of around 1,700 convicts released under Labour plans to ease pressure on prison overcrowding.

He served just 19 months of a four-year sentence after Ms Lake went to police as an adult to report historic assault and child cruelty offences.

“When I was younger he smashed a cup in my face, resulting in stitches to my eye. He broke my ribs and I was coughing up blood.

"He smashed my head into a glass table. He made me eat, lick dog poo off his shoes.

"He told me and my brother that he was going to kill us and that we wouldn’t wake up on Christmas morning."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said Egan's was a horrible crime but the government had been forced into taking difficult but necessary action.

Released prisoners would be supervised by the Probation Service with strict licence conditions such as tags, exclusion zones and curfews, they added.

But concern has been raised by domestic abuse charities.

Rhys Lloyd of Leeway Domestic Violence and Abuse Services, which covers Norfolk and Suffolk, said: "It's really important that we send out a strong message that domestic abuse isn't tolerated.

"That involves ensuring support is in place for those that are experiencing it and tough measures are in place to punish perpetrators because if not, they will constantly think that they are getting away with it and they'll continue to abuse people whether that's one victim or multiple victims."

Egan is 79 now and living in Lowestoft in Suffolk. He chose not to comment when approached by ITV News Anglia.

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