A Whangarei woman's love for her children stopped her from taking her life after a string of degrading sexual assaults by her former partner, who has been jailed for 10 years.
Reading from her victim impact statement before a packed Whangarei District Court yesterday, the mother of two said he
made her feel like "an absolute s***" during an ordeal on February 19, 2011, at home when she didn't think she would make it through the night.
Her former partner, who cannot be named to protect the identities of the complainant and her children, was found guilty by a jury on 10 charges including rape, sexual violation, indecent assault, unlawful detaining, kidnapping, male assaults female and breach of a protection order.
The woman said she had lost control over her life and did not feel safe, even at work, where her ex-partner would threaten her.
She has had to leave Whangarei with their children and was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress as a result of violence in the former couple's on-again, off-again relationship.
