Woman repeatedly Raped by Father didn’t Know it was Sexual Abuse

A woman who was repeatedly raped by her father said she didn’t know it was abuse until after having sex education lessons.

Ria Vora was six years old when her father began to abuse her, after losing his job and becoming a stay-at-home father.

Bharat Gohil preyed on his daughter while his wife was at work.

For six years, Gohil attacked his daughter so frequently that she came to think it was normal behaviour for a father but never mentioned the abuse to her mother because he told her it was “their secret”.

But when she had sex education lessons at school, Ria realised that her father was sexually abusing her.

Now aged 20, Ria has waived her anonymity in a bid to raise awareness for sexual abuse in families.

Ria, from Hemel Hempstead, said: “My father was a paedophile who preyed on his young, vulnerable daughter.

“He should’ve protected me, but instead he harmed me in the worst way imaginable.”

Her mother ran a wedding photography business and a beauty business while Gohil worked as an office administrator.

In 2008, he was made redundant.

Ria continued: “Mum told me Dad was going to be home from then on, taking me to school and looking after me.

“Suddenly Mum was the breadwinner, working really hard and out at all hours.

“Whilst Dad ran the home. Like typical Hindu Asian fathers, Dad was very conservative and strict. I had a rigorous chore sheet.

“Every day, I had tasks like washing up, sweeping, dishes and homework. He didn’t really let me play outside, or go to the park either.”

Later that year, Ria’s mother went to work one evening and Gohil put his daughter to sleep but a few hours later, Ria woke to see “Dad under the covers”.

She said: “He rubbed his body against mine and touched me all over. I remained quiet and was very confused.

“After that, it kept happening. I’d wake in the night to find Dad under my covers.”

As he continued to prey on Ria, she believed it was normal and in 2009, he raped her.

She told Daily Mail: “He was gentle and made me feel like nothing weird was happening. He told me it was our secret and not to tell Mum.

“I thought there was nothing to tell anyway. In my mind, it was what dads did with their daughters.

“Years went by and as I got older, Dad continued his visits to my bedroom after school.

“Once, Mum nearly caught Dad when she came home one day. Dad jumped off me and got his clothes on just in time.

“Although Mum didn’t have a clue, hers and Dad’s marriage began to fall apart. They fought constantly over the years, and I hated it at home.”

In 2016, Ria’s parents announced they were getting a divorce and Gohil found a nearby flat.

On his moving day, Ria went with him to pick furniture and at the flat, he cooked a meal for her but that night, he forced himself on her.

“It was painful and horrible. I felt sick about it.

“The next day, it dawned on me that I’d spent the last six years thinking everything Dad had done was normal.

“At school, we learned about sex education and I slowly realised as I went into my teen years that I’d been abused.”

“I made a vow to myself, that Dad would never rape me again.”

From then on, Ria refused to visit Gohil and as she grew older, she tried to push the abuse to the back of her mind.

However, it affected her mental state.

Ria began drinking and rebelling against her mother.

Her dating life took a toll as the sexual abuse meant she could not bring herself to do anything sexual.

“During those years, Dad moved to a new place in Luton. He tried to make amends, but Mum wanted nothing to do with him, and I kept my distance.

“On occasions, I let him take me for food or to the cinema.”

In September 2021, Ria began A-Level psychology and sociology, and they got onto the topic of father figures.

She suffered flashbacks and broke down about her father in confidence to a teacher. When Ria returned home that evening, she found out that they had told her mother.

Ria admitted: “I felt betrayed by the school for going against my wishes and telling her.

“After a lifetime of denying the abuse, I told Mum. She was crying and apologising in guilt. I felt so numb.

“Soon the school reported everything to the police. I was terrified. It was my biggest secret which I thought I’d take to the grave.”

In December 2023, Gohil was found guilty of four counts of rape of a child under 13 and eight counts of assault of a child under 13 by touching.

The judge described him as a “monster” who “enjoyed the terror he instilled”.

Gohil was jailed for 20 years.

Ria added: “As we waited for the trial, Mum wanted Dad to pay for what he’d done. But I felt guilty as he was still my father.

“Then in court, he didn’t show an ounce of remorse or emotion. It broke me.

“It was then I realised I had nothing to feel guilty about. He didn’t after all.

“Although I’d never wanted the truth to come out, I couldn’t believe the weight that was lifted from me.

“It has taken me years to understand my pain. But I finally have justice. Surprisingly it has since brought me a lot of closure and helped me heal.

“To any other survivors out there, you don’t have to suffer in silence like I did. You deserve justice too.

“Please reach out to a loved one or call an abuse helpline. Getting justice has helped me heal. I promise it will set you free.”