A young Victorian girl, sexually abused by her father, hears his voice while she’s at school and wakes in the middle of the night screaming and in tears.
She lashes out at her siblings and then feels sad and confused for hurting those she loves, but her mother cannot offer comfort because the girl is so sensitive to being touched.
The victim’s suffering was detailed as the Victorian County Court on Thursday jailed the dad for abusing her over a two-year period, beginning when she was aged six.
A young Victorian girl, sexually abused by her father, hears his voice while she’s at school and wakes in the middle of the night screaming and in tears (stock image)
A judge said the man’s ‘abominable’ behaviour struck at the heart of what is meant to be a sacred family relationship.
‘You breached the most fundamental and sacrosanct of trusts, that between a daughter and a father,’ said the judge, who can’t be named for legal reasons.
‘She was entitled to be protected, cherished – to have her innocence defended by you.’
The man, 31, abused his daughter while she was at home, sometimes while her mother was home too.
He once planned to drive the girl and himself into a lake, killing them, but changed his mind when he saw how scared she was.
‘You then returned home, knowing how scared she must’ve been, and you sexually abused her,’ the judge said.
The girl now has weekly sessions with social workers as she tries to cope with the trauma.
The victim’s suffering was detailed as the Victorian County Court on Thursday jailed the dad for abusing her over a two-year period, beginning when she was aged six
‘She suffers terrible flashbacks, reliving the abuse. She wakes up often crying and screaming,’ the judge said.
‘She struggles most days in all areas of her life. She has low self esteem, with negative body image.’
The girl’s mother called police immediately after her daughter revealed the father touched her.
He was arrested and later pleaded guilty to the persistent sexual abuse of a child.
The man was jailed for 11 years and ordered to serve at least seven years in prison before being eligible for parole, and was placed on the sex offender’s register for life.