'I remember a detective asking if I would be willing to confront my abuser in a recorded phone call to try and get a confession. That terrified me beyond words.' ZarishaBradley9 9News
For almost a decade a man my family trusted sexually abused me. A child rapist and master manipulator, he fooled everyone. I hope one day it becomes easier for survivors to take down their abusers in Australian courts,I do not recall the first time. From as old as I can remember, I was repeatedly sexually abused by a monster who married into my family.
The day I told my mum, in my final year of high school, is a day I will never forget. It took everything in me for the words to even come out. I will never forget the pain of watching her break down in front of me. It was as if her whole world had just fallen apart. I will never forget how she blamed herself. But no one was responsible for these crimes, except him.
I remember how uncomfortable, overwhelmed and unsettled I felt at the police station. The officers needed me to describe the incidents in the finest detail, every time I was assaulted by this monster, right down to what kind of clothes I was wearing on each day. I now understand why the police needed me to recall, in great detail, every possible bit of abuse that I could – and I'm grateful they and I persisted. If speaking up isn't hard enough, getting a conviction in the Australian court system is even tougher.
"I regret it every day that it happened. So I regret it, whatever happened, yes, every day. And I can't, the thing is, I can't change it now darling. I just can't change it. And I can't do anything about it," he said.By the time I hung up, my entire being felt like it was on autopilot. I was a complete blubbering mess in a state of shock.
The blatant lies he told to the court made me upset and angry. The refusal to take any accountability for all the pain and suffering he had caused me and my family, hurt. I tried so hard to be strong but at one point, the tears started to build, and I felt myself begin to break down.Thankfully, the jury saw through his lies and found him guilty on every charge. He was sentenced to five-and-a-half years jail in 2016.
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