Christchurch man jailed for historic rape

Christchurch man Peter Hugh Ensor received an 11-year and nine-month prison sentence this week for historical sexual offenses committed against a girl who was 13 at the time. Judge Tom Gilbert handed down the sentence at the Christchurch District Court after Ensor was found guilty by a jury in July. The judge noted that Ensor was more than 10 years older than the victim when the abuse began.

Ensor was convicted of five counts of rape, one count of unlawful sexual connection, and two counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16. A jury acquitted him of four additional rape charges, and the court dismissed one count of indecent assault. The court suppressed much of the specific detail regarding the offending during the proceedings.

The victim told the court that she has lived with the consequences of the abuse for nearly 30 years. She stated that she learned to survive fear, threats, and abuse, spending 27 years questioning why Ensor targeted her. She described herself as hyper-vigilant and easily startled, adding that she struggled to understand what a healthy relationship should look like. She told the judge that the shame and guilt for the events were never hers.

Judge Gilbert identified premeditation, grooming, vulnerability, and an element of violence in the case. He said Ensor regularly raped the victim over a period of seven months. The judge stated that Ensor’s offending had a profound and lifelong effect on the victim, noting that she grieves for the loss of her teenage years.

Defence lawyer Marcus Zintl said Ensor maintained his innocence and indicated plans to appeal the sentence. Zintl noted that dozens of people supported Ensor in court, describing him as gentle and stating the offending was out of character. Ensor denied the charges of rape and indecent assault during the sentencing hearing.

The victim initially reported the abuse to police in 2008. She was incorrectly informed that the case was outside the statute of limitations, leading her to believe too much time had passed for charges to be laid. In 2019, a social worker assisted her, and the investigation was reopened, leading to the current trial.

Ensor is scheduled to serve his sentence in prison following the sentencing. The court confirmed the duration of his imprisonment as 11 years and nine months.