The abuse Jeni Haynes experienced at the hands of her father, Richard Haynes, will be discussed in Investigation Discovery’s documentary We Are Jeni.
Despite acknowledging the years of torment and torture Jeni went through in the project, Richard himself does not appear in the documentary.
Ahead of the premiere of We Are Jeni on May 7, 2026, Us Weekly breaks down who Richard is and what crimes he committed.
Who Is Jeni Haynes’ Dad?
Richard is a convicted felon who sexually, physically and emotionally abused Jeni when she was between 4 and 11 years old.
Richard, his wife and their children moved from England to Australia in 1974 when Jeni was 4. Throughout her childhood, Richard sexually and emotionally abused Jeni.
When Richard and his wife divorced in 1984, he became estranged from his family when he moved back to the U.K.
Richard’s abuse had a lasting impact on Jeni, and she developed dissociative identity disorder as a coping mechanism.
“Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental health condition where you have two or more separate personalities that control your behavior at different times. When personalities switch, you’ll have gaps in your memory,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. “The identities are usually caused by living through trauma. Psychotherapy can help you manage your symptoms.”
From the time she was a young girl, Jeni created an army of over 2,500 alternate personalities, also known as “alters,” to help her process Richard’s cruel treatment and abuse.
Jeni Haynes Opened Up About Richard Haynes’ Abuse During a 2019 Trial
When Jeni was 49 years old in 2019, she took her case to court in Sydney, Australia, to seek justice against Richard.
She and her alters made history when they testified about the years of physical and psychological torture she endured.
“We weren’t scared. We had waited such a long time to tell everyone exactly what he did to us and now he couldn’t shut us up,” she told BBC about testifying against Richard.
While sharing a victim statement with the court, she said her “dad’s abuse was calculated and it was planned.” Jeni added that he was “deliberate and he enjoyed every minute of it,” per the outlet.
“He heard me beg him to stop, he heard me cry, he saw the pain and terror he was inflicting upon me, he saw the blood and the physical damage he caused,” she said. “And the next day he chose to do it all again.”
Haynes also said that Richard brainwashed her into thinking he could read her mind, and she said he threatened to kill her mother, brother and sister if she ever told them about the abuse.
“My inner life was invaded by Dad. I couldn’t even feel safe in my own head,” she said. “I could no longer examine what was happening to me and draw my own conclusions.”
Richard Haynes Pleaded Guilty to Abusing Jeni Haynes
Halfway through the trial, Richard changed his plea from not guilty to guilty, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Judge Huggett, who oversaw the case, called the abuse “depraved and abhorrent,” adding that Richard groomed, conditioned and humiliated Jeni.
“The psychological manipulation used by the offender, coupled with his escalating violence, served to emphasize and reinforce the power he had over her,” she said, per the outlet.
Richard was ultimately sentenced to serve 45 years in prison, which is the toughest penalty that has been given for child abuse in Australia.
“We weren’t scared. We had waited such a long time to tell everyone exactly what he did to us and now he couldn’t shut us up,” Jeni previously told BBC about testifying in court.
