KEY POINTS:
Denise does not like to think of herself as Roger Kahui's rape victim but as a survivor who is working towards having a sense of normality in her life again.
"I don't consider myself to be a victim - I'm a survivor. I got through that night," she
said.
Speaking exclusively to the Herald, she said Friday's sentencing - which saw Kahui sent to jail indefinitely - was another step in the healing process.
"I'm the first one to admit [the rape] was probably the hardest thing I have had to go through in my entire life. At the moment it's still pretty raw but over time I'm sure it will lessen and I will be able to do things I used to.
"I'm determined to get on with my life and to get back to some sense of normalcy."
It was nearly 18 months ago that Kahui forced his way into Denise's Pukekohe home, beat her around the head and then subjected her to a terrifying 4 1/2-hour sex attack.
She was then handcuffed and driven to an ATM but managed to escape and ran to the sanctuary of a nearby petrol station, where the first thing she did was ask for the police to be called.
Denise said part of her reason for talking to the Herald was so she could thank the police for the way they had handled her case. She said they helped her through a difficult process and she wants other women to know they can trust the police to thoroughly and competently investigate rape.
"I know there has been a lot of [negative] publicity about the police and the way they handle rape cases but my experience with them has just been completely the opposite of what has been reported.
"They have not only been absolutely brilliant as police officers but as people too," she said.
"When it first happened and they were interviewing me it wasn't the most dignified thing but they did it with such dignity and compassion. All the way through they have just supported me 100 per cent."
Denise said the trial, during which she gave evidence and sat in court each day supported by her family, and last week's sentencing brought back a lot of the trauma in a way she had not been expecting.
"There was the odd occasion when I thought, 'It's not worth it, it's too hard', then I just told myself I have had so much support from my family, friends and police that I don't want to let people down. I also wanted to make him pay."
When the judge sentenced Kahui to preventive detention with a non-parole period of 16 years - one of the highest sentences recorded for a non-serial rapist - Denise was "absolutely elated". "I was so pleased, really, really pleased. It was so much more then I expected.
"There's a little peace of mind knowing that he's not going to be on the streets again, not just for me but possibly other women he might have attacked in the future."
There is no denying the past 18 months have been difficult. Denise is scared of being alone and still has days when she just "curls up and cries on the couch". She is taking medication to help her through the stress.
But, while she is far from being fully healed, she is definitely making progress and wants other women to know there is life after rape.
She has relied strongly on her friends and family and received support from the community. Counselling has also helped. Denise's advice to other women is "think twice about answering the door when you are by yourself, do whatever it takes to get yourself out of a situation alive - whether it means complying or fighting - and always call the police as soon as possible".
