A Canberra court has heard testimony from one of the victims of former national rock climbing instructor Stephen Mitchell that her childhood memories have been reduced to “scarred, distorted nightmares,” and another victim claims she is unable to feel she is “safe and loved.”
Mitchell, 57, pled guilty to counts of maintaining a sexual contact with a minor and persistently abusing a child between 1994 and 2008 after committing sexual offenses against six girls.
The other female he met through a social activity, and he either met five of the girls through rock climbing or his employment with the Police Community Youth Club (PCYC) in Canberra.
Six victim impact statements were presented to the court today, including one from a lady who was tutored by Mitchell between the ages of nine and fifteen.
“He abused me, he isolated me, and he controlled me,” she claimed.
“My memories of my youth are scarred, warped nightmares; I still find it difficult to recall those times.
Another victim who Mitchell trained between the ages of 12 and 14 testified in court that he “destroyed” her life.
“I now live with an inability to trust others and believe I am safe and loved,” she claimed.
“Stephen Mitchell used my athletic accomplishments to give him the credibility he required to entice others into the sport.
It turned me into an unwitting supporter of other people’s abuse.
According to testimony given in court, another victim’s worry and terror as a result of the abuse forced her to move frequently even as an adult and prevented her from residing in any one place for longer than 18 months.
I’ve been so worried and afraid that my mental health has really impacted, she claimed.
“Some days are crippling, and I can’t even get out of the bed or move.”
She claimed that she felt as though she had been imprisoned for the previous 20 years while considering the appropriate sentencing for Mitchell’s offenses.
Another victim, who was abused for four years after becoming Mitchell’s friend when she was 11 years old, claimed that Mitchell’s actions had ruined her entire childhood and were still having an effect on her today.
I’m mostly upset by you haunting me in the good moments, she remarked, adding that you tormented me in the difficult and depressing times.
“When I bought my first house, I was so proud of myself, but I was also overcome with fear that perhaps I had bought one close to you.”
She said in court that she suffered never-ending “anxiety, insomnia, and nightmares” that kept her from being the mother, partner, and friend she desired to be.
Bail was revoked for Mitchell, who was then arrested. He will receive his punishment on Monday.
