‘Felt like a little girl’: Alleged Geelong rape survivor speaks out over years long nightmare

A woman who alleged in court she was raped says she understands why many victims never come forward amid a spike in sexually motivated crimes in Geelong.

A woman who alleged in court she was raped has spoken out about a years long ordeal that’s been marked by panic attacks, flashbacks, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Picture: Alison Wynd

A woman who alleged in court she was raped in Geelong says she understands why many victims never report sexual assaults, saying she was made to feel “like a little girl” and “not important”.

Jane, not her real name, has chosen to speak out more than five years after her traumatic ordeal that’s been marked by panic attacks, flashbacks, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Her story sheds light on the complexities of navigating the criminal justice system after coming forward with an allegation, particularly for those affected by sexual violence during the isolating era of the pandemic.

“I was raped during the height of Covid and my life changed forever,” she said.

“I can totally see why women never come forward.”

The medical student, in her 30s, has called for a review in how rape and sexual assault cases are handled, saying she felt repeatedly let down during a painstaking investigation and court process.

She said she felt silenced in the aftermath, and hopes to give an insight into the whirlwind days and weeks that follow a report.

“The method of managing victims of sexual assault needs to be looked at because my case alone was riddled with incompetence,” she claimed.

“I was made to feel like just a number in a system intended to support victims.

“I did everything you are ‘meant’ to do and it was all for nothing.”

The woman is calling on better support for victims of sexual violence in Geelong. Picture: Alison Wynd

Jane reported her alleged rape within hours of it occurring.

She handed over private messages from her phone and undertook an early evidence examination, including a vaginal swab.

An evasive forensic medical examination was booked the following day.

She took the morning after pill and was tested for STIs.

“I was sobbing the whole time,” she said.

“I had my period for three straight weeks after it.

“I told the truth.”

She was grilled about how many drinks she had consumed that night.

About what she was wearing.

Had she been flirting with her alleged attacker?

“It was like I was being asked ‘what did I do to make this man commit this crime’?” she said.

“I felt like I was an afterthought and not important.”

Jane waited years to have her case heard in court and to face the man she accused, describing the lead up as “a horrible limbo.”

“I was wanting to move forward but it loomed over my head like a dark cloud” she said.

“I lost friends, shut myself out of social activities and couldn’t work in the job I had just studied for due to PTSD.

“I was, and still am, a shell of who I once was.”

Another alleged victim of a sexual violence, Briohny De Stefano, said she empathised with her story and called out what she called “discouragement” after making a police statement.

Briohny De Stefano wants to give strength to other sexual assault survivors. Picture: Alan Barber

Ms De Stefano alleged in court she had been assaulted by a former Geelong doctor who was later jailed for other crimes.

Her case was dismissed during a five-day trial.

“When you first come forward it is jarring,” she said.

“You think you are doing the right thing but are then met with a lot of friction and discouragement as you go through the system.

“Women should feel emboldened and empowered to speak up after a crime has been committed, and that they’ll be supported and believed.

“I’m not sure our current system is doing that.”

New data released last week shows reported sexual offences had spiked by 45 per cent across Greater Geelong in 2024 with 585 offences, a jump from 402 the previous year.

Sexual Assault Services Victoria chief executive, Kathleen Maltzahn, said there are thousands of victims who never come forward.

“There are far more than the official statistics capture and survivors are sometimes discouraged to report,” she said.

“For those who engage with the justice system the experience can often be confronting and disempowering, making recovery more difficult.

“It’s clear that the burden should not be on survivors to navigate our complex and punitive system.”

Sexual Assault Services Victoria CEO Kathleen Maltzahn. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Maltzahn said she welcomed a state government pilot to introduce “Justice Navigators” in Victoria to support woman to better understand “and exercise their rights” in navigating the process.

“This would include support, compensation, recovery and justice options available to them, including by attending court and hearings,” she said.

“They will provide ongoing support to survivors that isn’t tied to any one legal pathway or outcome, and the service would be free.”

Jane said that resource would have been invaluable to her throughout her harrowing journey.

For now, she just wants to put her pain in the rear-view mirror and hopes by telling her story she can help another woman who finds herself in her shoes.

“It has been the worst thing that has happened in my entire life,” she said.

“But I won’t let it define my life.”

Have a story to tell? [e-mail]

Originally published as ‘Felt like a little girl’: Alleged Geelong rape survivor speaks out over years long nightmare