Peta Butler was 15 years old when she was taken to a Toowoomba hotel where her mother arranged for a man to rape her.
Detective Senior Constable Jodi Bell said it took Ms Butler until 2016 — more than a decade later — to work up the courage to approach police, who are still trying to find the man responsible.
“Her mum had taken her on a bus ride, on the guise of having a girls’ night away for her birthday. And they then went to a hotel room where there was a man waiting,” Senior Constable Bell said.
In January, her mother Therese Butler was sent to jail over the assault, using a long phone call recorded by Peta as evidence.
“In that phone call she was able to get her mum to admit that she had arranged for this male person to rape her daughter,” Senior Constable Bell said.
In the taped call, Therese Butler claimed her daughter was 16 at the time, above the age of consent, and used that to help justify her actions.
Mother sat next door smoking during rape. The case has received considerable media attention in recent weeks.
Ms Butler told that before going to the hotel in 2005, her mother took her to a bottle shop and encouraged her to drink pre-mixed vodka drinks.
“When we were walking she said ‘oh drink this because it will make you warmer,'” she said.
She said her mother sat in the room next door smoking during the rape.
“I was hoping she was going to come in and stop it. She didn’t once try, ” she said.
“She set it up and she took me to the place … she premeditated the whole thing. That’s not a mother.”
Ms Butler said she was still angry at her mother for her “betrayal”.
“Probably within a week of it happening I dropped out of school. I lost a lot of friends along the way because of how I rebelled. I went into depression, I was anxious all the time.”
Senior Constable Bell said police wanted to reassure victims of rape and sexual assault that they would be believed if they spoke to authorities.
“Don’t be scared, we will help you,” she said.
She praised Ms Butler for her bravery in telling her story.
Also Read: This Is What Happened To Chinese blogger Who Offers Free Sex
Post Your Comments