Dangerous predator sexually abused me in foster care – I carried the secret for 26 years before I got justice

TERESA Welsh, 43, foster carer, lives in Grimsby with her husband, children and foster children.

As a teenager, Teresa was sexually abused as a vulnerable child in foster care by the adult son of the family who took her in.

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“Taking a deep breath, I looked at the man standing in the dock and said, ‘You broke me at 18.

‘I won’t allow you to break me again.

‘Yes, I was a victim, but most of all, I am a survivor.’

It was December 2023 and I was at Northampton Crown Court facing Keith Coomber, 58, who sexually abused me when I was a vulnerable child in foster care.

When I read my victim impact statement, I felt empowered.

Finally, I found my voice.

For 26 years, I carried this terrible secret, but here I was, looking up at the man who once held so much power over me.

Finally, justice was served.

As a little girl, I was severely neglected by my parents, and at the age of 13, I was so relieved to be taken care of.

For a few years I was quite happy, but after my 16th birthday I was moved to a new house.

My new adoptive parents had a 30 year old son, Keith Coomber, who was married with children.

I did my best to settle in but felt uncomfortable as another girl in foster care told me that Coomber had tried to grope her.

Whenever he visited, he would make jokes and start fights.

Then one morning he came into my room.

I woke up in shock and pulled the duvet around me, freezing in fear.

“There’s room for me in there,” he smiled.

I told him to leave me alone, but he came in anyway – and sexually assaulted me.

I feel sick. Afterwards, he smiled as if it was a big joke.

From then on, Coomber abused me regularly.

He would come home early in the morning to drop off his children and then enter my room.

Normally, I would sleep soundly and only wake up in the middle of an attack.

I tried to push him away, but he was too strong and just laughed at me.

Trying to avoid it, I woke up very early.

But he just cornered me in the hallway.

I wanted to talk to the police, but I couldn’t

Teresa Gales

After a few months, I confided in a friend, but I never thought about reporting him, convinced that no one would believe me.

Instead, I buried the trauma and began drinking and self-harming.

Days before my 18th birthday, I took an overdose.

It wasn’t a cry for help, I wanted to die – Coomber had destroyed me.

When I woke up in the hospital, my adoptive family said they didn’t want me back. I panicked, but I also felt relief – I needed a fresh start.

I found an apartment and got a job at a nursing home, and one day a few months later, Coomber knocked on my door.

Without thinking, I let him in and he tried to force me.

This time I fought back, kicking and screaming, and he ran away.

I wanted to talk to the police, but I couldn’t.

I continued working and tried to build a new life.

In 2007, I decided to become a foster carer.

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I knew how lonely it was to be in care and that I could make a difference in these children’s lives.

It was so rewarding. I loved watching them grow and flourish, but my abuse still haunted me.

I met my husband in 2012, we got married the following year and had three children, as well as continuing to raise children.

I was happy, but I still couldn’t trust my husband.

Then, in 2021, news appeared on my phone – Keith Coomber had been convicted of sexual assault and jailed for three years.

There was an appeal for other victims to come forward.

I knew I needed it, but I needed to tell my husband first.

Saying it out loud was a relief, and he was very supportive, as were the police.

Two years later, Coomber was charged with crimes against me and two other women.

He pleaded guilty to 12 counts of indecent assault and was jailed last December for six years and nine months.

Not once did he look at me or show remorse – he just looked pathetic and sorry for himself.

Teresa Gales

I feared facing him in court.

Not once did he look at me or show remorse – he just looked pathetic and sorry for himself.

Afterwards, when I returned home to my children and adopted children, I felt so much gratitude, knowing that I provided a safe and loving home that was a world away from my own childhood.

Now, I want everyone to see Coomber’s face – he is a dangerous predator.

It’s never too late to report abuse and it’s never too late to get justice.”

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