Sexual assault survivor wishes no harm on her attacker
A WOMAN who survived a horrific sexual assault in her own home has faced the man who attacked her and wished him a good future with rehabilitation
Northern Territory
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AN Alice Springs woman who survived a horrific sexual assault in her own home has faced the man who attacked her and wished him a good future with rehabilitation.
The woman, who can’t be named for legal reasons, fled from the intruder but she was dragged back into her home where the man tried to rape her in a vicious attack that left her with a broken wrist.
The woman read a lengthy victim impact statement in the Alice Springs Supreme Court detailing the terrifying attack, but she hoped for the offender to reflect on his actions.
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“I still have flashbacks to the moment of terror … there is no excuse or justification for such violence” she said.
“Despite the various damaging effects … I wish no undue harm to the offender.”
Abraham Price, 24, pleaded guilty to a string of charges including unlawful entry and attempted rape.
Price stood up spontaneously in the Alice Springs Supreme Court to say sorry to his victim.
On the attack in August 2019, the woman was practising yoga in her living room but she was interrupted when she noticed Price in her backyard.
Price was told to leave but he gained entry through the laundry door and chased the woman out of her home and into the driveway where she screamed for help.
Price tackled her to the ground and dragged her back into her home where he attempted to rape her.
The woman fought back and bit Price’s hands after he pulled her pants down.
The offender fled the location and was arrested the following day after police reviewed CCTV footage.
The woman’s neighbours called police after she came out onto the street screaming with blood on her face.
She suffered from a fractured wrist, nasal bruising, two black eyes, a broken toe, a laceration to the right side of her mouth that needed stitches and a damaged tooth that required dental treatment.
The woman said the incident has left her with anxiety to be in her own home as she needs to padlock her gates.
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“I now feel the discomfort of living in a fortress for protection,” she said.
Crown prosecutor Glen Dooley said the court needed to send a clear message of deterrence for offences that “strike a great deal of concern” in the community.
Price, who was on a suspended sentence at the time, was also dealt with for an unrelated break-in where he smashed a glass door with a rock before stealing goods.
Justice Judith Kelly said she accepted Price was remorseful but said the offending was extremely serious.
“People are entitled to feel safe in their own homes,” she said.
Price was sentenced to a total of seven years and six months in jail.
Originally published as Sexual assault survivor wishes no harm on her attacker