The brave victims of an elderly Dundee rapist, who survived “unimaginable” abuse at his hands for nearly a decade, have been praised by police chiefs.
Pensioner Gordon Gerrard was caged for a spate of sex crimes.
The 72-year-old was convicted of rape and other offences following a lengthy investigation by the city’s Child Protection Team.
He was reported to police by his victims in 2018, sparking a two-year inquiry.
On Friday, Gerrard appeared at Airdrie High Court and was jailed for five years.
It followed his conviction for rape, two indecent assaults and two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices involving a child and at the high court in Glasgow in November.
‘Finally paying for his crimes’
The sentence has been welcomed by Police Scotland.
Detective Constable Alan Shepherd said: “I want to thank the three victims for their courage and resolve throughout this investigation and court case.
“Taking that first step of reporting abuse can be incredibly daunting and I want to commend them for their bravery in coming forward.”
He said: “They were subjected to abuse over a nine-year period, what they suffered is unimaginable and I hope that seeing Gerrard jailed brings them some sort of consolation now he is finally paying for his crimes.”
