Child abuse victim wishes her mind could ‘just be erased like in Men in Black’
A HUGELY brave child abuse victim of a Derby man told a court: “I wish I could have my mind erased” such was the psychological impact of what he did to her.
The girl said she saw a scene in the movie Men in Black where a tool wiped the memory of people and wanted the fictional items to be used.
Now a grown mother, the woman finally found the courage to come forward more than two decades after she was sexually assaulted by then teenager Robert Smith at his home.
But he denied the offence meaning she had to relive her ordeal in front of a jury who believed her version of events over his.
Jailing 40-year-old Smith, of Alma Street, for 18 months, Recorder Adrian Reynolds said: “What to you was an attempt at adolescent sexual gratification has cast a shadow over her for entire life.
“She cannot get the memory of what happened that day out of her head.
“There was a significant difference in your ages, you bribed her not to tell her mother what happened.
“The nature of the bribe itself was immature, but the fact that you bribed her tells me in the clearest terms that you know what you did was wrong.
“You were (a teenager), but you still knew it was wrong.
“I bear in mind it was a one-off incident and that you have led a blameless life since.
“And I bear in mind it will be a particularly difficult spell in custody for you.
“(But) you have shown no remorse for what you did all those years ago and you put her through the ordeal of making her go through that all again (at trial).”
A trial was told how the victim was aged under 13 when she was sexually assaulted by Smith.
Now an adult mother herself, she was forced to relive her ordeal at the defendant’s hands by giving evidence at his trial to a jury.
Despite his denials that jury believed her side of the event and found him guilty of one count of indecent assault of a child.
Prosecutor Julia King read out the woman’s victim impact statement in full to Smith’s sentencing hearing.
In it, she said: “I wish I could have my mind erased.
“I watched the film Men in Black and in it there is (a scene involving) a tool which erases people’s minds and I remember thinking what a great idea that would be.
“I have gone from abusive relationship to abusive relationship just like being that child again.
“He has ruined my life, taken away my innocence and caused so much damage to me.
“I feel like I cannot cope with the ordinary things in my life, I feel the hills are getting bigger.”
James Armstrong-Holmes, for Smith, said his client has not carried out any offence of any kind since he did this to the girl more than two decades ago.
He said: “He is a father to a number of children including a 20-month old and custody will have a significant hardship on his partner and his child.
“This was the victim going to the defendant’s room, there is nothing to suggest he sought to isolate her.”
As well as the jail term, Recorder Reynolds handed Smith a restraining order not to contact the victim until further order.
The fact you bribed her tells me that you know what you did was wrong.
Recorder Adrian Reynolds