THE first woman to waive her rape victim anonymity after being sexually assaulted in her father’s Ealing vicarage has died after suffering a stroke.

Jill Saward, then 21, was raped repeatedly in her father Michael Saward’s vicarage after a gang of burglars entered the house in 1986.

Her father and then-boyfriend David Kerr suffered serious injuries, including fractured skulls.

The case was controversial because the men who raped her received substantially smaller sentences than the man who was convicted of burglary alone.

The trial also sparked outrage as the judge said her trauma had ‘not been so great’, and was later censured and forced to apologise.

She has died aged 51, leaving behind three sons and her husband Gavin Drake, who live in Hednesford, Staffordshire.

Ms Saward, also known by her married name Drake, devoted her life to campaigning, and successfully campaigned to bar rapists from cross-examining victims when representing themselves in court.

In 1990, she published a memoir entitled, ‘Rape: My Story’, and in 1994 set up a help group for victims and their families and became a counsellor.

A statement from her family on her website said: “Jill dedicated the past 30 years of her life to helping other people.

“It gives us great comfort to know that our wonderful wife, mother and sister was able to help other people to the very end.

“We would like to thank all those who contributed to her medical care in recent days. We are also so very grateful for the many expressions of prayer, love and support we have received.

“At this stage we would appreciate space and time to come to terms with what has happened.”