Success Story: 10 Year Old Girl

A 10 year old girl was asked, “What gave you the courage to talk to someone about your abuse?” The girl said she heard in a prevention presentation at school that she would not get in trouble for speaking up.

Her abuser previously terrified her and made numerous threats that they would both go to jail if she told anyone about the abuse. The girl was met with support and belief from her family, and she received counseling for her trauma. Her case went to trial and she boldly testified against her abuser. Her abuser was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to prison.

When preparing her Victim Impact Statement to be read at sentencing, she stated, “I want to see him in handcuffs. I want to see him be walked out knowing he is headed to prison, because then I will know I’m finally free. Then I can go back to being a kid again.”