Man locked up for abusing children

The Falkirk woman believes the man who abused her and her sister at two addresses in Langlees over a period of 20 years from 1976 until it 1996 got off lightly at court.

Crawford Buchanan, of Abbotsford Street, Bainsford was found guilty of sickening abuse against the two women, which started when they were just seven and eight years old.

On various occasions between November 27, 1976 and November 26, 1985 Crawford assaulted one of his victims and ordered her to lower her clothing, repeatedly strike her with a belt and slipper and repeatedly slap her on the head.

Between 1981 and 1985 he subjected the same child to fondled her intimately and forced her to perform sex acts on him.

Between July 1979 and July 1996, Crawford forced his other victim, now aged 46, to strip off and struck her with a belt, got into her bed and try to kiss her, repeatedly fondled her intimately and rub himself against her.

Crawford also assaulted a boy over a 15-year period starting in 1972 by making him strip and striking him with a belt and slipper.

At Falkirk Sheriff Court on September 22 he was sentenced to 20 months and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

One of the sisters, now aged 46, said: “I don’t think the sentence was sufficient, not for all those years of abuse. He should have got more but these cases can be hard to prove, however, it does mean he’ll probably be walking the streets again in ten months.

“My sister did speak out about it back then, but it was brushed under the carpet so I was then scared to open my mouth. I was 24 when the abuse stopped.

“It’s weird to say but I did have a close relationship with him and wanted things to appear normal for my children, but after there was a death in the family it all became too much to keep quiet about it.”