Fault

For a long time I would think that what happened to me was my fault. That I must of done something to encourage him, or said something. I lived with this for a long time before realising that it isn't my fault at all. 

The fault lies with him, he is the one that is at fault, I didn't do anything or say anything to encourage him. It was him who decided that he would do what he did and abuse the friendship and trust I had in him. He was the one that swindled his way into our family and then betrayed our trust by raping me not once but twice and then making me think that it was my fault and I had asked for it. 

In the last year I have learnt so much about him that I never knew, he is a predator, a pedophile, a liar and a nasty man. He swindled his way into other families and hurt them as well. All the hurt that he has put on his victims is his fault not ours. What he did to us we have to live with forever, yes we may eventually put it in the back of our heads and lock it away but we know its always there and that anything can trigger it and open it all up again. Thanks to him we no longer feel safe and no longer trust as we used to.

I found out the other week that he is looking to appeal his sentence, he thinks he got too long, well I think he didn't get long enough and if he does go ahead with the appeal, I hope they give him longer or leave it as is. He doesn't deserve less time he deserves more time and lets hope they see it that way.

Not What I Thought

A few weeks ago I sent off a form to the Department of Justice to be put on the victims register. Yesterday I got a phone call from a lady to say that they had received it and had processed it, she told me she is sending out some info for me as well. I asked her if the info she is sending me will have where he is, as B and I have been wanting to know this since he was sentenced. She looked it up for me and told me that on the 5th May he was moved from Parklea to a prison on the south coast of NSW, Australia (don't want to say exact location incase I'm not allowed to share) and he is in maximum security.


I'm glad he is in maximum security, though was shocked to hear where he is as I thought he would of gone somewhere else.

This month and next month are hard as May and June is when the assaults happened 27 years ago. Since it all been has been brought up again 2 years ago I've been finding that I have more flashbacks and find it hard to go to sleep. I'm hoping that it will all eventually settle down and it won't be so hard on me.

I'm not seeing my psychologist at the moment, I'm seeing how I go and if I need to see one I will look at seeing a new one as I wasn't real happy with the one I was seeing.

I am starting to scrapbook and plan in my planner more lately which helps me take  my mind off things and I also enjoy it so it's my therapy.

How I'm doing

I'm still having a hard time getting my head around it all and still taking time to sink in that the court stuff is all over and done with after dealing with it for 2 years. Though things are starting to look up and I'm not having that many flashbacks especially at night when I'm trying to go to sleep.

I'm still trying to work out who I am, I know I'm a daughter, sister,wife, Aunt and friend but I don't know "WHO" I am!!! and I need to work on that and find out where I fit into the world and what I'm meant to be doing.

I'm finding that the support groups I'm in on Facebook really help me as well as it's good to be able to talk to others that have been through the same or similar as they understand a bit more. I also have a lot of support from family and friends which helps me get through every day.

I have started to get creative again and have been decorating my planner, have also made a start on Project Life, its good to be getting creative again as it does help me and I do enjoy doing it, was starting to miss it.

Sentencing

Sentencing finally happened on Monday 1st February at 2pm.

It's the day we have all been waiting for to finally see him put away and to find out how long he would be in for. The judge summed up all 6 cases which was really hard to hear what he had done to the others, when he came to read out mine, I got upset, I had my mum, Zoe and my friend B that is another of his victims to support me, B and I supported each other through it all. Some of what the judge said we didn't understand but we did understand when he read out the sentence. Troy Walker got 13 years with a 10 year non parole period. The detective and his boss said to us later that it was a really good result and that we should be proud of ourselves.

B ran out of the courtroom and I ran after her, I hugged her tight while she broke down, we both ended up breaking down. After awhile we let go and made our way out of the building. Mum and I said our goodbyes as we had to catch a taxi to the airport, was hard to leave B as I felt I needed to be there for her.

I don't know how I feel about it all, I still feel numb about it all. I think because we have dealt with it for 2 years that to have it finally over with is a bit of a shock. My psychologist said to me when I saw her on Tuesday (9th Feb) that I didn't seem to be so stressed, I said I think its cause a weight has been lifted off me but still not feeling like me. She said it's going to take time for me to get back to feeling like me again and to be easy on myself. I have to remember that we won and that he is where he is belongs and he can't hurt me, B or anyone else. I have been listening to my theme song Warrior by Demi Lovato a lot lately as I find that helps but some days are just so hard and I wonder if I can go on.

There was a journalist in the courtroom from The Newcastle Herald, she did a story about it and you can read it here if you like Bible Leads to Jail Cell

Feeling Gutted

January 22nd 2016 was suppose to be when Troy Walker would get sentenced. My mum and I flew up on Thursday 21st so that we were up there ready for the sentencing, well we get into court on the Friday and it turns out to be just a hearing which we didn't need to be there for and now sentencing is on Monday 1st February. They told us that it's better this way as then he won't have any reasons to appeal, which I fully understand and I don't want him to have any kind of way to appeal, its just so frustrating when you psyched yourself up ready for the sentencing and then it doesn't happen, it feels like getting kicked in the stomach. I'm so over it all and just want it over and done with. Myself and another survivor who I have become friends with had a good cry afterwards. We are both so frustrated and angry over it all, we both just want it over with.

Now we have to wait another week to finally be able to begin to close the door on this and move on with our lives.

I also have another theme song that I have been listening to a lot lately, its Warrior by Demi Lovato