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A sister sexually abused by her brother while growing up in a Jehovah’s Witness family has condemned appeal court judges for cutting his jail sentence.

Louise Palmer, 38, was raped and repeatedly indecently assaulted as a young child by older sibling Richard Davenport.

But when she later told her devoutly religious parents and church elders, she says she was told not to alert police - to avoid bringing shame on the religion.

Last year former school governor Davenport was jailed for 14 years after being convicted of rape and sexual assaults at the former family home in Halesowen.

But an appeal court has now seen that sentence reduced to 10 years, meaning he could serve just five years before being released.

Mum-of-two Louise bravely waived her right to anonymity to condemn the decision and a victim support system which she says had kept her in the dark about the case.

She said: “It seems the judges are more supportive of the paedophiles in this country than the ones being abused. How can that be right?

“This makes a mockery of the courage it takes for survivors to speak up.”

Louise was only five when 14-year-old Richard Davenport started molesting her.

He had moved into a caravan in the ­family’s garden because of a strained atmosphere in the house.

A court heard he would offer to take little Louise to stay with him, allegedly to shield her from domestic violence scenes, but it was ­actually as an opportunity to abuse her.

For six years Davenport, now 47, put helpless Louise through hell.

He ­stopped only when her periods started and he feared she might get pregnant.

Years later traumatised Louise told parents Trevor and Diane and church elders about the vile abuse but says they did nothing for fear of bringing shame ‘on the name of Jehovah’.

Her mum and dad were at Wolverhampton Crown Court to see Davenport convicted of two charges of raping his sister and three of indecently assaulting her - charges he had callously denied, forcing Louise to give evidence

Shockingly, her parents were at court for their son, not Louise - even snubbing her on the court steps and in the court room.

Davenport was found guilty on all the charges and jailed for a combined total of 36 years, but 14 years consecutively - meaning he would serve seven before being eligible for release.

Louise felt she had once again been betrayed after being shunned by her parents at the trial. She said at the time: “My parents chose my brother over me, even when they knew what he’d done. I can’t forgive them.

“I was very close to Mum, we were best friends. How she has reacted is not the Mum I know.”

Now the trauma of her abuse has returned after the High Court appeal saw the sentence reduced to 10 years.

Incredibly, Louise said she was not even informed about the appeal until late in the process.

She said: “I have been disappointed with the lack of support from victim liaison since the trial. No one contacted me about the appeal, other than Witness Care who called me the week before.

“Survivors of abuse should be given a thought in the appeal process.

“Until this point I had expected the justice system to support the victim and punish the rapist by upholding the original sentence. So to say I feel let down by this decision is an understatement.”

And she added: “If he had 36 years in total, how can it be justified that five years is a decent amount of time to serve in prison?

“Did the appeal judges even consider my opinion?”

Louise has continued to rebuild her life after the court case. She has returned to education and has completed her A Levels and is now embarking on an applied degree in criminology.

She is also determined to continue to help other victims of abuse by speaking out about her own experiences. The inspiring mum said: “I shall do everything in my power to always be there for other survivors and to let them know they have a voice - and that people WILL listen.”