A sexual abuse survivor has spoken out about the years of abuse he endured at the hands of Richard Tung, a well-known restaurant manager who was described as a 'golden boy' in his community.
The Abuse and Conviction
Richard Tung, 42, of Penisa'r Waun in Gwynedd, ran Fu's Restaurant in Caernarfon, Wales. He was respected and trusted locally, but behind closed doors, he was a predator who sexually abused a young boy for years. Last month, Tung was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of seven offences, including two counts of raping a child under 13, two counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and indecent assault. The offences were not connected to his role at the restaurant, and he is no longer associated with the venue.
The Survivor's Story
The victim, now in his 20s, spoke to NorthWalesLive to help others. He recalled how Tung would play games with him and let him use his mobile phone. 'Everyone thought he was a lovely guy. They thought he could do no wrong so he was trusted,' the survivor said. 'I did not know it was wrong until it suddenly came to me that this is not normal. I tried to fight him off but he was bigger than me, stronger than me.'
He feared speaking out because Tung was seen as a 'golden boy' and he thought it would be his word against Tung's. The survivor vividly remembers the last time he was abused, telling his abuser, 'This is the last time you are doing this to me.'
Impact and Healing
For years, the survivor blamed himself. 'From 14 to 24 I blamed myself. I thought it was my fault. It damaged me so much: anxiety, PTSD, depression, struggling to sleep. I was in and out of counselling therapy,' he said. At 19, he confided in an ex-boyfriend, and later told his sister, who believed him. But he did not go to the police until 2022, after telling his current partner and family. Tung was charged in 2023 and convicted in 2024.
The survivor said, 'He denied everything, but I remembered everything.' Through therapy, he no longer blames himself. 'It is not my fault and knowing that has healed me. Now there is justice – I finally know he has not got away with it. My other motivation was to protect others. I needed to say something because no one suspected he could do this. If I did nothing, he could do it to others.'
Victim Statement
In a victim statement read at Nottingham Crown Court, he said: 'My life has been significantly impacted because of the abuse. I'm still very vigilant because I'm scared of potential danger. It's so tiring because I'm scanning people all the time to see if I'm safe. I don't like being alone. I'm scared of being left at home at night and I run from room to room because I'm scared someone is going to hurt me. My anxiety is still present and I overthink things a lot.'
Of the trial, he said: 'Having to reopen everything and relive memories was uncomfortable. I hate seeing his face as it makes my skin crawl, but in the court I made sure I looked at him. The whole trial was so emotionally draining and stressful. The worst week of my life. Waiting for the verdict was so much because I wanted someone to validate my abuse – I wasn't crazy.'
