A child sexual abuse victim said a sibling who has passed away was also abused by the same man.
The verdict came following a trial of the facts at the Old Bailey – a process where a jury is asked not to deliver a determination on guilt but instead to decide whether the incidents took place.
A full criminal trial could not take place as 88-year-old Bryant has dementia and was not deemed fit to plead, but the burden of proof remains the same in a trial of the facts.
In a victim impact statement, the victim said a sibling was also abused by Bryant.
“The consequence of the sexual abuse [my sibling] and I suffered at the hands of Anthony Bryant as very young children, has been lasting and catastrophic for both of us. It resulted in us both having to endure PTSD symptoms,” they said.
“When we were very young children [my sibling] and I were regularly left alone with him, unprotected. He used these opportunities to abuse us sexually and mentally. Afterwards he threatened further harm to us if we spoke out. We were both too intimidated and too fearful to risk doing that.”
The victim said that the abuse endured by their sibling was even more severe and at an even younger age.
“Physically, it affected them profoundly. Mentally, it left them with feelings of fear, shame, confusion and revulsion.
“It left them with life-long difficulties in making and sustaining friendships and relationships due to them lack of self esteem and feelings of worthlessness.
“Over the years, we both had many sessions of counselling to try to help us deal with our trauma. Unfortunately, for both of us they were largely unsuccessful.”
On Friday, June 6, Bryant was given an absolute discharge.
Judge Mark Dennis KC said this was the only option left open to him after finding that neither a hospital order or a supervision order would have been suitable.
However, he acknowledged that an absolute discharge was an unsatisfactory outcome “for many reasons”.
“I hope this process has brought some sort of closure or catharsis,” he told the victim.
During the trial the jury were told that Bryant made the child touch him sexually and masturbated in front of the child.
The victim approached police in 2023, describing Bryant as an “opportunistic” sexual abuser.
The victim said they “packed everything that happened away” in the back of their mind for many years but wanted Bryant to “understand what he did and that what he did was wrong”.
Bryant was invited to a voluntary interview at Bexleyheath Police Station where he answered “no comment” to all questions.
After two days of evidence a jury of five men and seven women returned a verdict that Bryant committed the acts detailed in the eight counts.
Bryant had three “relevant previous convictions” but the nature of the convictions was not disclosed in court.
