For a long time, Laura* feared no one would believe her.

She survived sexual abuse as a child and said she was not ready to report the incident until she felt she had enough evidence to support her story.

"My hesitation was also due to my previous experiences with the justice system, which have shown me how difficult it can be for victims to achieve fair outcomes," Laura said.

She said she reported the incident years later, followed by multiple other incidents, including sexual and domestic violence she survived as an adult.

Previously in this series, The Canberra Times analysed crime reported to police between 2014 and 2024 and found reports of sexual assault and assaults related to family violence in the capital had increased by 80 to 90 per cent.

In her experience working with

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