A WOMAN at the centre of a rape trial involving her organist stepfather, who was found not guilty of serious offences against her, killed herself three years later, an inquest has been told.

Juliet Crew, 22, was found hanged and left a note saying she felt let down by the legal system.

Her stepfather Nigel Parker, 60, an organist at Wiveliscombe at the time, was found not guilty in 2012 of sexually abusing her for seven years – from the age of nine.

Mr Parkin was cleared after he said Juliet and another alleged victim were both suffering from mental health problems.

He was cleared of two counts of indecent assault on one girl and eight counts of rape against another.

The jury was discharged after deliberating for almost 11 hours after it could not reach a majority verdict on the remaining seven charges. Juliet’s body was found hanging by her mother Judith Parkin, in August last year in the hall of their home in Taunton.

Taunton Coronor’s Court heard the strain of the legal proceedings took a severe toll on Juliet’s mental health.

In the months before her death her weight plummeted, she self-harmed and she overdosed on medication, the inquest heard.

Juliet’s suicide note read: “The judicial system in this country, especially for victims of sexual offences, is disgusting. There is no justice. It only confirmed that I cannot trust people. I do not want to live in a world where there is no justice.”

Mr Parkin, who is employed by the Church of England, was found not guilty of serious offences against Juliet in a trial at Taunton Crown Court in 2012.

Juliet’s mother Judith told the inquest: “She felt that she has been let down by the authorities, specifically the justice system and the mental health services.

“She was astounded that Nigel Parkin was still at large among vulnerable people. She never recovered from this feeling of injustice”

Mr Parkin’s trial heard Juliet, who attended Queen’s College in Taunton, told a teacher at her school in Autumn 2010 that he had sexually assaulted her.

Juliet was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in Autumn 2014 and prescribed anti-depressants, sleeping pills and anti-psychotic drugs.

Her mother said: “At the end of April, 2015, she took a massive overdose. One month later she took another overdose.”