Island predator jailed for catalogue of sexual abuse spanning three decades

A sexual predator who repeatedly raped women and a young girl has been jailed for 10 years at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Edwin Cuschieri, 67, attacked four victims at different locations in the Orkney Islands during offending that spanned 28 years.

His youngest victim, a girl who was aged eight or nine at the time, said the abuse “haunted” her.

Sentencing Cuschieri (pictured), judge Lady Scott said the 67-year-old appeared to think he was “entitled” to abuse women.

She told him, “You have a complete lack of insight into your behaviour.”

Cuschieri had earlier denied a string of charges during a trial but was unanimously found guilty of three offences of rape, two of sexual assault and one of indecent behaviour to an underage child.

His offending began in Stromness in 1988 where he subjected a woman to repeated assaults, rapes and verbal abuse.

He then raped a girl at a house between 1997 and 2001. She had earlier told the court that she was the victim of a sexual assault which haunted her for years.

And in 2016, he molested a woman and subjected a second victim to a sexual assault in Kirkwall.

Following sentencing, Police Scotland described Cuschieri as a “serial abuser”.

DCI Donald Macdonald said: “Cuschieri must now face the consequences for his horrific behaviour.”

He added: “I would like to thank the victims for having the strength to come forward and report the abuse they endured, and for the courage they have shown throughout the investigation.

“The bravery to tell their story has resulted in Cuschieri being convicted. I hope today’s outcome gives them some sort of closure.”

Lady Scott said in sentencing him that she took into account his age and noted that he was recently married and that his new wife supported him.

Cuschieri, of Shapinsay, Orkney, will be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Picture (c) Police Scotland.