A woman has bravely spoken out about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her childminder’s son – and told how her own mother came unknowingly to write a letter in his defence.
Rachael Smith, 23, from Hertfordshire, was preyed upon at the tender age of three by evil predator, Steven Freitas, 34, who raped and sexually assaulted her for three years.
Until the age of six, Freitas raped Rachael in his family home when she went to stay with her childminder, threatening to do it to her younger sister, Katie, if she told anyone.
Unbeknownst to Rachael, when she was six, Freitas was arrested and convicted of sexually abusing two other girls under 13.
In a shocking twist, not knowing of the abuse her own daughter had faced, Rachael’s own mother, Steph, 43, wrote a character witness in Freitas’ favour, declaring that he’d ‘never do something like that’ and said she believed the victims’ claims were ‘untrue’.
It wasn’t until over a decade later that Rachael discovered the statement and told her mother about the traumatic abuse she’d faced as a child year earlier, leaving her horrified.
Rachael has bravely waived her right to anonymity to encourage other survivors to speak out against their abusers.
The recovery worker said: ‘For so long I kept this terrible secret. When I found Mum’s statement I felt sick to my stomach he’d had other victims.
Rachael Smith (pictured today) has bravely spoken out about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her childminder’s son
Until the age of six, Freitas raped Rachael in his family home when she went to stay with her childminder. Pictured aged six, during the abuse
‘Steven had managed to manipulate my own mother into thinking he was innocent. When she found out about what he’d done to me, she was beside herself with guilt.
‘I’m just glad he’s finally behind bars where he belongs.’
In June this year, Freitas was jailed for five years for rape and sexual assault by penetration.
Rachael was just four months old when she started being cared for by her childminder, Freitas’s mother, who was a close family friend, and said she ‘loved’ going to her house.
Rachael remembers: ‘I saw Steven’s mother like a second mum. I loved going to her house and playing with the other children.’
However, everything changed when Rachael turned three.
One day, in 2004, Freitas, then aged 11, coaxed her into the downstairs toilet, in the guise of taking her for a wee.
She says: ‘While inside, he took off my underwear and started touching my privates. He told me it was “our secret”.
In June this year, Freitas (pictured) was jailed for five years for rape and sexual assault by penetration
She said if she tried to tell her abuser ‘no’, he would start threatening her
‘I was only young so thought it was normal and agreed.’
The abuse escalated and Freitas began making Rachael sit on his lap, naked, and making her touch him too.
Just months later, he raped her for the first time.
She recalled: ‘I just remember how painful it felt. I wanted to get it over and done with and go back to playing.’
Most weeks, while she was being looked after, Freitas took her into the toilet multiple times to abuse her, which also included oral rape.
Afterwards, he would offer to plait her hair or play games with her.
Rachael said that if she ever told him ‘no’, he would threaten her, saying he would make her younger sister, Katie, then two, do it instead.
Another time when she tried to resist, Freitas said he’d tell her mother to ‘hate’ her.
She only learned about the true nature of the abuse when she was older and had sex education lessons at school
Rachael (pictured) has described her torment when her mother unknowingly wrote a letter in defence of Freitas
For the first few years after the abuse, Rachael tried hard to bury the memories
‘Desperate’ to protect her younger sister, Rachael kept quiet, but remembers: ‘It was awful’.
Once, aged six, Rachael refused to go with Freitas to the bathroom, but he forced her inside and raped her again.
Soon after, Rachael stopped going to her childminder’s house.
Unbeknownst to Rachael, Freitas had been arrested for sexually abusing two children in his mother’s care.
In September 2008 then aged 17, he was convicted at St Alban’s Crown Court of seven counts of sexual assault of a female child under 13 in respect of two victims, aged 7 and 9. He was sentenced to an 18-month Detention and Training Order.
His mother’s business subsequently shut down.
Over the following years, Rachael blocked out the abuse but when she learned about sex education at school at the age of 10, the memories all came back.
At school, aged ten, she learnt about sex education.
As Rachel grew into her teens, she experienced further problems, entering toxic relationships and finding intimacy painful – and knew it was ‘all down to the abuse’
Once, aged six, Rachael refused to go with Freitas to the bathroom, but he forced her inside
She says: ‘Everything came flooding back and I realised what had happened was wrong.
‘I asked my teacher questions like, “how long does sperm live inside you?” and “can kids get pregnant?”. I was terrified.
‘They should’ve picked up on those signs, as they’re not normal questions for kids to ask.’
Afterwards, Rachael developed OCD and Tourettes syndrome – a condition that causes people to make sudden, repetitive sounds or movements.
She’d have rituals where she’d wash her hands multiple times and talk to her teddies, telling them ‘don’t kill my family’.
She says: ‘I had such intrusive and violent thoughts. I hated my body and felt ashamed and embarrassed.
‘I began having nightmares and panic attacks.’
In March 2013, Freitas pleaded guilty to another two offences of sexual activity (penetrative) with a female child under 16.
He was sentenced to five years custody with an extended license period of eight years.
When she eventually told her mother the truth via text message, she was horrified
As Rachel grew into her teens, she experienced further problems, entering toxic relationships and finding intimacy painful – and knew it was all down to the abuse.
In November 2020, when she was 17, she stumbled across her mum’s character witness statement while looking for some documents for a job application – and was ‘horrified’ and ‘felt sick’ at what she found.
‘I was horrified reading what she’d said about Steven,’ Rachael said, recalling the moment she found the statement. He’d convinced her he was innocent.
‘The fact that she’d defended him made me feel sick. Knowing he’d had other victims, I felt guilty I’d let him hurt others.’
For the next year, Rachael thought carefully about her findings until one day, she plucked up the courage to report Steven to the police.
When she confessed what had happened, she said the police were ‘so supportive’ and the detective in charge believed her ‘straightaway’.
Two weeks later, she told her mother the truth of what happened via text message.
Rachael said: ‘She felt so guilty she’d defended him, unknowingly. Was horrified at how monstrous he actually was.’
At his trial this month, Rachael bravely gave her evidence, and was horrified when the defence ‘asked her what she had been wearing’ when she was just three years old.
This time, Rachael’s mother Steph was called to the stand to give evidence for the prosecution.
Steph, 43, said: ‘Steven’s mother was a registered childminder and good friend of my family.
Rachael is now calling for parents to educate their children on their anatomy, boundaries and consent
‘She lived opposite my parents. I always thought Steven was immature for his age and behind developmentally and socially. But I had no idea the monstrousness he was capable of.
‘When Steven was arrested for the first abuse case, I didn’t think the allegations were true.
‘I couldn’t imagine such a thing happening in a seemingly loving home. His mum was in tears and I felt sorry for her.’
Steph wrote a character witness statement for court, after Steven’s mother asked for her help and she fully supported the family during the trial.
She explains: ‘I will always regret doing that now. Receiving Rachel’s text made me feel numb.
‘I couldn’t cope knowing how much he hurt and traumatised her. It breaks my heart I couldn’t protect her. I hate him for what he’s done.’
This June, Freitas, 34, was found guilty of sexual offences against Rachael at St Alban’s Crown Court.
Rachael, who is now calling for parents to educate their children on their anatomy, boundaries and consent, says: ‘Knowing he’s been taken off the streets gives me some comfort.
‘He’s now known as a sex offender so people know what a danger he is. Finally, he’s been exposed for the vile creature he is.
‘I’m certain he’s got more victims out there. I want to let other survivors know, it’s never their fault and they should never feel ashamed.
‘I’m finally spoken my truth and no longer feel and guilt or shame.’
