Brave girl speaks out

The parents comfort their nine year old daughter who was sexually assaulted in December 2009.

A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl whose attacker was this week found guilty of sexual assault in the Lismore District Court has a message for other children.

On Thursday, Jonathon Clark, of Kyogle, was convicted of sexually assaulting the girl in December 2009. He changed his plea halfway through the trial.

The brave young girl, who was just seven years old when the incident occurred, now wants to encourage other child sex abuse victims to speak out.

“It’s okay to go to court. I stood up in court and I told the truth the whole time,” the girl said.

“I’m proud of myself.”

The girl said she was going public on behalf of all the other children who could not speak up for themselves.

She said had she not found the courage to do so, her attacker may have gone on to hurt other children.

During the trial, the girl endured a day-and-a-half of cross examination by defence counsel.

Her mother said the proceedings had stirred “mixed emotions” in the girl, but with the support of her family, counsellor and the police, she had coped with the process remarkably well.

“I think her strength comes from knowing that she is helping other children,” her mother said.

“I don’t think she will ever forget, but she is a tough kid.”

Many offenders escape unpunished from their crimes because victims did not want to face the prospect of testifying in acourtroom, the girl’s mother said.

“But there is a chance of success. You can fight it and be free of it,” she said.

“(We) have to stop these mongrels getting out and doing this.”

During the trial, the girl’s family wore green ribbons – green is the little girl’s favourite colour – to show their support.

They now hope to establish a foundation to encourage other children to speak out against sexual abuse. The green ribbon will become its symbol.

Clark, who was 18 at the time of the offence, has a mild intellectual disability.

He was assisting the girl to look for a lost toy under the family home in Kyogle when he assaulted her.

He knew the family and had spent time with the girl and her family on a number of occasions.

He is now in custody, awaiting sentencing on October 17.

The family has since moved interstate.