Mother of girl molested at camping ground cried when hearing guilty verdict

The mother of a young girl molested at a Sunshine Coast camping ground cried when she heard the words they had been waiting three years for.

The mother of a young girl molested at a Sunshine Coast camping ground by Carlito Raistrick, left, speaks about their experience in reporting the incident.

The mother of a young girl molested at a Sunshine Coast camping ground cried when she heard the words they had been waiting more than three years for.

"Guilty," a jury speaker told Maroochydore District Court in February.

The decision brought a moment of happiness to the Brisbane family and sealed the fate of Carlito Raistrick, who was sentenced to 12 months in jail to serve six for the indecent treatment of a child under 12.

But the victim's mother, who cannot be named, said the peace was fleeting as the sleepless nights and isolation of the past three years had caused a great deal of damage.

Her daughter was touched by Raistrick, who also goes by Carl Desacola, while she was camping at Kenilworth in 2017.

The 11-year-old couldn't sleep alone for about two years after the assault.

Unexpected interactions would trigger panic while her family watched on, absorbing her pain.

"Everything seemed to go wrong from that point and it had a ripple effect on every aspect of our lives," the mother said.

"We didn't feel like we could talk to our community about it which was very isolating.

"You just feel all alone in this bubble."

The family didn't leave the campsite immediately as they processed the sexual assault and it was months before they reported to police, which was something a jury was asked to consider.

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Outside court, Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Hurst of Sunshine Coast Child Protection Investigation Unit said it was frustrating to so often hear disclosure times used in court to question a victim's or witness' credibility.

He highlighted that Volume 4 of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found survivors of child sexual assault took on average 23.9 years to disclose.

"Feelings of fear, shame, embarrassment and guilt were common," the report published in 2017 stated.

" … The authority and power the perpetrators had within institutions and the community, as well as the authority of the institutions themselves, were also described as significant barriers to disclosure."

Raistrick was the director of Brisbane law firm Winthrop Mason and was involved with several sporting groups and organisations in the region.

Sergeant Hurst said it was normal for victims and families to take years in deciding to come forward.

"As a society, we have to understand that there is not one way a victim will respond to sexual assault," he said.

"It takes significant personal courage to come forward and without their courage the system would fail. Police would not be able to identify and prosecute the perpetrators."

Carlito Raistrick arriving at Maroochydore District Court with his girlfriend.

The mother of Raistrick's victim said she contemplated the impact police interviews and going through the court system could have on her daughter.

But she was pleasantly surprised by the way Senior Constable Lee Carseldine responded to the initial report made to Inala Child Protection Investigation Unit.

"It was the first time my daughter had told someone what had happened outside our family and she was believed," the mother said.

"She hadn't been the same since the incident but after her initial police interview, this weight came off her shoulders.

"I could see a change in her just by telling police what had happened."

Sergeant Hurst said it was important for victims to know they could seek support and advice from police about an incident even if they weren't sure they wanted to pursue the matter.

Another barrier in disclosing for the family was the possibility of the girl having to face Raistrick in a courtroom.

But she was able to give her evidence through recordings made before the trial.

"There is a whole regime of legislation aimed at protecting victims in court," Sergeant Hurst said.

"It's the police's job to help them every step of the way.

"And the victim is supported through a range of services available from psychologists to victim support officers to speech therapists."

The girl's mother said her family had previously found it too difficult to discuss the sexual assault with a professional.

She said they had been offered help and were now seeking therapy.

Originally published as Mother of girl molested at camping ground cried when hearing guilty verdict