An 83-year-old man has been sentenced for sexually assaulting his granddaughter as she slept at his house. Photo / File
A teenager stared directly into the eyes of her abuser, describing how she fought off suicidal thoughts after a sexual assault to see justice served and to tell him he was no longer her grandfather.
“You broke me and I had to hide it from my family, friends and my partner,” she told the 83-year-old, who had cared for her since she was young.
“We are not family any more. You are someone who took advantage of someone who should have been special to you.
“Take a look, this will be the last time you see me ever.”
She read the comments from her victim impact statement in the Marton District Court on Thursday as the offender, who cannot be named to protect her identity, appeared for sentencing on a charge of indecent assault.
She spoke about wanting to “end the pain” by driving her car off the road but decided it was the “coward’s way out”. Instead she focused on using laughter and determination to heal the hurt he inflicted on her.
“It will one day become an even more beautiful part of my soul.”
Parents often had to reassure children there were no monsters hiding under their beds or in their closets but never warned them that sometimes those monsters came dressed as people “who claim to love you”.
The teenager’s mother, the defendant’s daughter, said she couldn’t believe what she was hearing when she was advised of the assault.
“How could my own father do this to my daughter?” she asked as he sat silently with his head bowed. “No parent should have to see their child like this.”
In November 2020, after attending a friend’s birthday, the teenager stayed at her grandfather’s and went to sleep in the spare room, which used to be her grandmother’s.
She was woken by the sensation of someone touching her bottom and realised that person was standing next to her mumbling but she could hear what they were saying.
When the hands began touching her genitals it was accompanied by a sudden jolt of horror and the realisation it was her grandfather, so she rolled away.
He lay down on the bed next to her and, while trying to cuddle her, said “I’m lonely.” She moved to the end of the bed and told him “I can’t do this” before he left the room.
She sent a text to her father, just before 1am, asking to be picked up and he drove her straight to the police station to report the assault.
Crown prosecutor Isabelle Barfucci described the offending as a gross breach of trust, describing how the girl’s grandfather was supposed to be caring for her that night.
Barfucci thanked the victim for having the courage to read out her statement in court.
Defence lawyer Debbie Goodlet sought a discount on her client’s sentence for his guilty plea, which was made immediately after steps were taken to resolve the case.
Judge Justin Marinovich told the defendant his offending was a gross breach of trust that caused significant harm to the wider family but specifically to his granddaughter and daughter.
He described the victim as a strong young woman and commended her bravery in not shying away from detailing personal as well as sensitive information in front of strangers.
The pair had previously shared a close relationship, the judge said, but the defendant had taken advantage of her vulnerability on the night.
“She was asleep in what she saw was a safe place. She wasn’t able to protect herself from that intimate touching.
“She relied on you for protection, she was someone who looked up to you.”
The judge said that, with any case, the punishment imposed needed to be determined by the facts and in tailoring his sentence gave discounts for the defendant’s guilty plea, his age and previous blemish-free criminal record.
After reaching an end sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment, the judge then converted it to eight months of home detention.
“You f...ing dog,” a man yelled at the defendant as he left the public gallery.
Where to get help:
Victim Support 0800 842 846
Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00
HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): be 04 801 6655 - 0
Safe to talk: a 24/7 confidential helpline for survivors, support people and those with harmful sexual behaviour: 0800044334.
Mosaic - Tiaki Tangata Peer support for males who have experienced trauma and sexual abuse: 0800 94 22 94
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
Leighton Keith joined NZME as an Open Justice reporter based in Whanganui in 2022. He’s been a journalist for 20 years covering a variety of topics and rounds.
The man is now in a critical but stable condition in hospital.