Brave victim of child sexual exploitation from Newport who was addicted to drugs by age 12 and pregnant by 14 tells her harrowing story

“I was in and out of the care system. I didn’t have any real relationship with my mum and dad.

I couldn’t tell you how many foster carers I have had. I have been to so many homes and placements. It is definitely more than twenty.

I would stand outside shops and get people to buy me alcohol when I was 12.

It was the norm. I lived in Newport at the time and we had always seen it growing up.

It was so easy to fall in to, especially in Newport.

My abuser said if I gave him my number, he would buy alcohol for me. It started from there.

I would give him money to buy drugs and alcohol for me. I was already addicted to drugs before it started, but it got worse as he was buying them for me.

It progressed from there.

We were out in his car one day. He put his hand on my leg. I thought ‘hang on a sec’ but then I didn’t think anything of it.

I moved away to Pembrokeshire from Newport on July 22, 2013. I would still travel down to see him (my abuser).

I had moved because social services thought that I was at risk. The foster carers that I was with thought that they couldn’t look after me.

I went back to visit my family for Christmas (2014), and I saw him (my abuser) on Christmas Day.

It was the first time that we slept together.

I found out that I was pregnant at the end of January.

When I told him, I didn’t get any support from him, that was when I knew I should say something.

I decided that keeping the baby wasn’t the best thing for me, so I had an abortion.

I was watching TV with my step-dad and saw a programme about a child sexual exploitation victim and that gave me the confidence to tell him.

I had thought that people wouldn’t believe me – I was just a child in care that was addicted to drugs.

I was 15 when (my abuser) was sentenced.

It had stopped a couple of months before then, when I was 14.

I went to the sentencing.

I went with my family. It was the first time that I had seen my abuser since before I was pregnant.

I knew all the lies that he said in the interviews.

When the judge gave him his sentence (10 years and eight months), it was a relief. It was what I had been waiting for.

I did a lot of work with Gwent Police about CSE (child sexual exploitation) as I was a victim.

I spoke to the chief officer on the case.

She asked me how I felt I could help more. Her boss thought that I could help by recording videos to help the training of new officers.

Having the feedback from the police that the videos were helping was a big thing.

From there I wanted to get out there more and help people if I can.

I have been nominated for the St David Awards – I was nominated for the St David Awards by one of the officers on the case.

I was nominated in a different category last year but didn’t get this far.

I decided to lift my anonymity as I was happy to get my name out there so other people could contact me for help. I feel like it is a bit different if you have your name out there.

I think for me, I decided to do it because of the programme I watched.

The identity was hidden, but I felt I could help even more if I got my story out there.

It feels amazing to be in the position to have the chance to try and make a positive change to people’s lives.

I am open for people to come and talk to me if they do not want to talk to the police.

For me, when uniformed police officers would question me, I would never say anything. I just saw them as being there to arrest me.

The best way to do so is on Facebook.

It doesn’t always have to involve the police. It doesn’t always have to involve the courts. Just tell someone and it can help you.

I am now doing a level two health and social care course, and have just applied to do a level three. I hope to go on to university.”

Lowri Hawkins' abuser was Newport man Robert Davies. For more information about his sentencing, see here.