Allegations of Child Abuse Arise in Oxford Crown Court Case
A Wantage man, Daniel Lewis of Woodfield, stands before a jury at Oxford Crown Court this week. Lewis faces severe accusations detailed in six counts of wilfully assaulting a child and two counts of intentionally ill-treating a child. The disturbing allegations include smothering a young boy with pillows, aggressively shoving him, digging knuckles into his legs, slapping him, gripping him around his neck, and even resorting to self-harm in the child’s presence.
Lewis has denied all these offences and has elected to pursue a trial.
Victim’s Video-Interview Played During Proceedings
On Thursday, May 9, the jury viewed a video-recorded interview with the affected boy who, due to legal safeguards, remains anonymous. The boy provided a detailed account of the alleged incidents.
He described a distressing episode where Lewis had reportedly forced him to eat soap as a form of punishment for swearing. “I thought it was a joke,” he said, recounting the incident, “I remember he took me into the bathroom and made me take a bite. It was horrible. I gagged and spat it out.”
He also claimed that Lewis forced him to sit in a closed dark cupboard for approximately two hours until he began hallucinating.
In His Own Words: The Victim’s Experience
The boy detailed the profound psychological impact of the alleged abuse. “I’m not the type of person who considers taking his own life, but all this stuff, all those cruel moments… I didn’t want to be there anymore,” he shared. He also revealed self-harming tendencies brought on by the alleged events.
Clearly affected by the difficult recollection of events, he expressed his emotional reaction to the alleged mistreatment: “It was something that really gets to me, being treated unfairly…” he explained, emphasizing the deep emotional strain caused by the circumstances.
As the trial continues, the case has drawn significant attention. The jury now carries the weighty responsibility of determining the outcome.
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