I had to tell my three children their father was a rapist

I had to tell my children their father was a rapist: Woman who was drugged and abused by her husband from the age of 15 reveals trauma her son and daughter have suffered

• Tina O’Brien, 54, from the West Midlands, saw her abuser jailed in February
• READ MORE: My husband drugged and raped me from the age of 15 and I only realised what he’d done when I got pregnant – it took me 30 years to get justice

A mother-of-four – who was drugged and raped by her husband from the age of 15 – has revealed the heartbreaking ordeal of telling their daughter the truth about her father.

Tina O’Brien, 54, from the West Midlands, had only realised what Frederick Allchorne had done when she discovered she was pregnant – but the assaults would continue for years after.

Allchorne, 62, had repeatedly drugged and raped the teaching assistant from when she was a teenager, until the young mother managed to escape, aged 21, to a women’s refuge with her two children. 

And while it’s taken three long decades for her to get justice, her abuser was earlier this year jailed for 22 years. 

Tina has been candid about the effects of the horror on her family and children, admitting that her eldest was traumatised to learn about the ordeal, and didn’t want to know about any details that came out at trial.

Tina O’Brien (pictured recently), 54, from the West Midlands, had only realised what Frederick Allchorne had done when she discovered she was pregnant

She recalled sitting the now 37-year-old down to explain that she’d be taking her father to court for everything she was subjected to.

‘Knowing what her dad had done, she found it all too much and wanted to leave it in the past,’ Tina said.

Her daughter also told Allchorne’s son, now 33, but he ‘found it too painful to discuss’.

Tina had fought in court for five years to prevent Allchorne from ever gaining access to their children – and has shared what life was like for her family, living with the trauma of his abuse.

‘I was only a young mother, and after fleeing Frederick, I was in constant fear of him hurting me again and abusing my children,’ she revealed.

‘How he degraded me and stole my childhood, has blighted my entire life and the trauma it’s caused my eldest children has been horrific.

‘No one should have to experience something so awful.’

Tina met Allchorne in 1984, aged 15, when she and her father moved into his family home as lodgers.

Tina pictured aged 16 with her daughter. Allchorne, 62, had repeatedly drugged and raped the teaching assistant from when she was a teenager

Finally, in June 2022, Allchorne (pictured in his police mugshot) pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, five counts of administering a stupefying or overpowering drug with intent, five counts of indecent assault on a woman over 16 and one count of bigamy

Months later, her father moved away for work, leaving Tina in the care of Allchorne’s family.

But within days, Allchorne began drugging Tina’s food and drink – raping her whilst she was unconscious.

‘I was constantly groggy and my privates always ached,’ Tina said. ‘I was an extremely naïve teenager.

‘I’d never been given the “talk” and didn’t know what sex was.

‘At the time, I didn’t know what was happening to me.’

Just months later, in 1985, after a visit to the doctor, Tina discovered she was pregnant.

Although she had no idea how she fell pregnant, she was too afraid to say anything to Allchorne – suspecting he was responsible.

She explained that she had given birth to their daughter aged only 16 and ‘was forced to grow up really quickly’.

While it’s taken three long decades for her to get justice, Tina’s abuser was earlier this year jailed for 22 years. Tina pictured today aged 54

‘It was so hard being a mum at such a young age with little support around me,’ she added.

Allchorne was besotted with their daughter – and when she was six months old, he insisted they tie the knot.

After their marriage, the abuser continued to drug and rape Tina – even subjecting her to the sickening horror in front of their daughter.

The following year, Tina woke up to the sound of her daughter’s cries in their bedroom.

She explained: ‘I tried to get up to soothe her, but my body felt paralysed. I couldn’t move.

‘Frederick came in with a cup of tea which smelt disgusting and forced me to drink it. Then, everything went dark and I came around hours later.

‘Thankfully, my daughter was happily playing in her cot.’

Over the coming years, Allchorne tried to convince Tina that her blackouts were all in her head.

But in 1986, she was rushed to hospital after her tongue was rolling back into her throat.

Doctors at St Helier Hospital confirmed that her symptoms were consistent with the effects of mind-altering drugs – it was then that Tina started to become suspicious.

‘When I was 18, I broke into the bathroom cupboard that he always kept locked and found drugs, handcuffs and naked images of myself,’ she explained. ‘When I confronted Frederick, he said he was doing things to me that I’d never allow.

Tina pictured aged 16 with her daughter. Allchorne was besotted with their daughter – and when she was six months old, he insisted they tie the knot

Tina pictured aged 22 when she left Frederick. In September 1991, she fled to a women’s refuge half an hour away, with her two children, whilst Allchorne was out of the house

‘I was terrified.’

In 1989, when Tina was 20, she fell pregnant again and had their son.

Allchorne didn’t bond with him, and continued to drug Tina on a weekly basis.

‘Worried he’d start abusing the children too, I had to get out,’ she said. ‘I didn’t know what he was capable of.’

When her daughter and son were six and two respectively, Tina reached out to a solicitor and arranged a date to leave.

In September 1991, aged 21, she fled to a women’s refuge half an hour away, with her two children, whilst Allchorne was out of the house.

Tina said: ‘After spending a night there, we moved into a bed-sit.

‘Thankfully, Frederick had no idea where we were and the children didn’t question what was happening.’

Weeks later, Tina met a new partner and immediately confided in him.

She explained: ‘He made us feel safe, so we moved in with him.

‘He encouraged me to go to the police, but officers told me there wasn’t enough evidence.’

By this point, Tina had been granted full custody of her children, but Allchorne was still allowed supervised access to them once a fortnight.

Tina pictured aged 17. In 1989, when Tina was 20, she fell pregnant again and had their son

Despite this, Tina feared he would try to hurt them.

She explained: ‘Frederick’s dad would meet me at the train station to collect the children, to prevent me from seeing him.

‘One day, his dad was late meeting me to drop them back.

‘His dad called me to say that my son, still aged two, had been in hospital after falling down the stairs and hitting his head on a large speaker at the bottom.

‘I was beside myself.

‘When he finally returned them, my son’s mouth had been sliced open.’

Tina asked her children what had happened, and they explained that Allchorne had been allowing them to jump from the stairs into his arms, but he failed to catch his son.

She said: ‘I think Frederick was hurting him on purpose so he could get to me.

‘I immediately went to court to stop the visits.’

For five years, Tina fought in court to prevent Allchorne from ever seeing their children.

She told the judge all about how he had drugged her since she was a teenager, but didn’t reveal the abuse because she thought a husband could have sex with his wife without consent.

In 1995, Tina had a daughter with her new partner.

Then, the following year, the court ruled that Allchorne was a danger to the children and could no longer have access to them.

Afterwards, Tina and her partner moved to a different county.

Tina remembered: ‘I cried for the first two weeks. It was all so overwhelming. But my children seemed so much happier.

‘While my daughter remembered who her dad was, my son saw my new partner as his.

‘After all, he was only a baby when we left.’

In 2001, Tina split with her partner and in 2005, went onto have a son with another man.

In the years that followed, Tina found herself unable to discuss Allchorne’s abuse with anyone, including her children.

‘I knew my eldest daughter had an understanding about what happened after overhearing conversations I’d had with my partner over the years. But we never spoke about it,’ she explained.

‘My daughter told my son, but he found it too painful to discuss.’

For years, Tina suffered extreme panic attacks.

Now, Tina is writing a book about her life in the hopes that ‘it will help at least one other survivor out there’. Pictured today, aged 54

So, in 2018, she referred herself to a rape crisis centre, and her therapist helped her contact the police again.

Allchorne was arrested, but denied all the charges. For four years, the court case kept getting adjourned.

‘Waiting for the trial was exhausting,’ Tina revealed.

‘Thankfully, my two youngest children were by my side every step of the way and came along with me to court.

‘When they learnt about what I’d endured, they were so supportive and told me how strong I was for getting justice.

‘They became my rock and I couldn’t have done it without them.’

Finally, in June 2022, Allchorne pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, five counts of administering a stupefying or overpowering drug with intent, five counts of indecent assault on a woman over 16 and one count of bigamy.

In February this year, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison at Croydon Crown Court.

Now, Tina is writing a book about her life in the hopes that ‘it will help at least one other survivor out there’.

‘What happened to me when I was younger hardly seems real,’ she revealed.

‘I know the trauma of Frederick’s abuse will have lasting effects on not just my life, but my children’s too.’

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