'We waived our right to anonymity to help others'

When sexual abuse survivor Simon Byrne decided to publicly share his story, he hoped to help those still suffering in silence.

The 55-year-old was abused between the ages of 11 and 15 by his boxing coach Patrick Lowe in Greater Manchester.

After Mr Byrne spoke to BBC North West Tonight, several viewers and others who read his story on the BBC News website praised his bravery and courage.

One of the emails sent to the BBC came from Adam Rainford.

Mr Rainford, from Stockport, said he had endured similar experiences and wanted to meet Mr Byrne.

He has also waived his legal right to anonymity.

And so, in Manchester's Chorlton Park, two strangers who understand each other in a way most of us never will, met for the first time.

"There's still huge numbers of people abusing and getting away with it because nobody says anything," said Mr Rainford.

"They don't think they're going to be believed, that they're ashamed.

"I certainly was.

"It's like they keep quiet, it burns away from the inside."

• Support and information for anyone affected by the issues raised in this article can be found on the BBC Action Line website

Mr Rainford was groomed and sexually abused for about three years from the age of 10 by his table tennis coach David Mellor.

He said he finally felt compelled to report the abuse to police in 2017 after seeing sex abuse cases on the news.

In July 2019 at Chester Crown Court, Mellor was jailed for five years.

Mellor, from Little Sutton in Cheshire, admitted three charges of indecent assaulting a boy.

The now 90-year-old was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

"I know exactly what Adam's been through and he knows exactly what I've been through," said Mr Byrne.

He said he wanted "more people like us to] get out there and say to people 'It's not stigma, don't be ashamed, come forward, tell your story and get support'."

Mr Byrne reported his abuser to police in 2021.

By November 2024, however, he was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial.

In May, a fact-finding hearing found Lowe had committed the offences and he was put on the sex offenders' register.

According to the charity We Are Survivors, the average time between abuse and disclosure is 22 years and fewer than one-in-five male victims ever report what happened to police.

Mr Rainford recalled how he felt an overwhelming sense of relief when a police officer told him "it wasn't his fault".

He added: "A lot of people blame themselves [and wrongly think] I made this happen and it's just not true.

"I'd be keen to show as many people as we can that there is some positives that can come out of this.

"Other people who are struggling in silence, they don't need to – there's support out there, they can get help."

You can watch more about their meeting on the BBC iPlayer until 17 July 2025.

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