- Anastasia had been talking to a Justin on a dating app before she met with him at his home for drinks
- What she didn’t know was, that night would leave her in tears, at hospital and unable to walk
- The pain Anastasia felt lit a fire in her to change the face of Australia’s legal system so no other victim of sexual assault has to walk the path she did
Here Anastasia Treharne, 23, NSW, tells her story in her own words
If you’re affected by this story and need support, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 (Aus) or 0800REFUGE on 0800 733 843 (NZ)
I’m going to see a boy for a date, I texted my girlfriend.
It was October 2022, and I’d been chatting to Justin, then 24, for a few weeks after we matched on Bumble, a dating app.
We’d never met in person, but I was keen to get to know him better.
So when he invited me over to visit, I agreed and was looking forward to our first official date.
After I arrived at his place, we chatted over some drinks.
Shortly after, we shared a kiss, before heading to his room.
One thing led to another, and we began having sex, but I found it quite painful.
‘Stop, please. It hurts,’ I begged.
But he was relentless, pulling my hair as he continued to hurt me.
When it was over, he got up to go to the bathroom, while I got myself dressed and sat on the corner of the bed in silence.
Once he returned, I mustered the courage to take myself to the toilet.
Crippled by pain, I could barely walk.
Locking myself in the bathroom, I stood in front of the mirror as tears uncontrollably streamed down my cheeks.
Looking at my ruffled hair, my face reddened with terror.
I have to get out of here now, I thought, afraid.
Texting my friend, I asked them to pick me up from a nearby servo.
‘My mum needs me to come home,’ I told Justin, making an excuse and not wanting to anger him by my leaving abruptly.
I rushed down the stairs and out of the apartment building, my nerves on fire as adrenaline rushed through me.
In the safety of my friend’s car, I finally broke down.
‘I was raped,’ I cried.
‘We need to get you to a hospital,’ they urged, racing me to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
I was in so much pain that I struggled to sit, walk and urinate.
Doctors revealed I’d suffered tearing.
Afterwards, I went to my friend’s home to rest, before heading to the police station the next day.
Thankfully, the police took the matter seriously, comforting me as, for six hours, I recounted every agonising detail.
But as the day wore on, the pain intensified and was now radiating through my pelvis.
This isn’t fair. I shouldn’t have to suffer like this because of someone else’s actions, I cried, making a promise to myself to get justice.
Back home, I was scared to tell my parents, knowing my ordeal would break their hearts.
But after a couple of weeks, I could no longer hold it in, and had to tell my mum, Tanya, what had happened to me.
‘I’m here for you no matter what,’ she promised, wrapping her arms around me.
Over a month later, police asked me if I could organise a call with Justin to gather evidence on the assault.
We hadn’t spoken since the attack, so I was afraid he would find the gesture abnormal.
But luckily, he agreed to have a phone call with me, which police secretly recorded.
A week later, Justin was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual assault without consent in relation to what happened that night at his home.
I learned he’d hired a lawyer as he planned to fight the charges.
‘No matter how hard it gets, I’m going to fight this,’ I vowed.
Over the next few years, the trial was delayed repeatedly, deepening my frustration.
During this time, I was horrified to learn of Justin’s criminal history, including domestic violence-related property destruction, and drink driving offences.
If only I’d known the kind of person he truly was, I thought.
I never would’ve given him a chance.
In July 2025, I finally came face to face with my abuser in court, after he pleaded not guilty on all counts.
‘We’ll get through this,’ Mum assured me, as my family and close friends stood by me, offering their support.
The jury found Justin guilty on just one count of rape, acquitting him of the three other charges.
I was devastated.
As I read aloud my victim impact statement in court, Justin refused to look at me.
‘For over three years I have carried the weight of this burden.
‘Now, I hand it back where it belongs.
‘I didn’t choose to be forced down, nor to be torn open.
‘Your choices were violent, you did not hesitate, you disregarded every “no” and every “stop”. You made me bleed,’ I said, recounting the horror he’d put me through.
It was another 12 months before I faced him again at the Downing Centre District Court, Sydney, in July this year, for sentencing.
Justin Downs, 28, faced up to 14 years in prison for the offence, but was sentenced to just 100 hours of community service.
It felt like it was a slap in the face, as I sobbed in my mum’s arms.
‘The law cannot keep doing wrong by victims of sexual assault. We have to do better,’ I told my friends outside the court.
The following morning, I woke with a fire in my belly.
Wanting to support other victims of sexual assault, I launched a petition to call on the NSW Government to reform sentencing laws so that imprisonment is the ordinary outcome for sexual assault convictions, with wholly non-custodial sentences reserved only for truly exceptional circumstances.
My mission is to see perpetrators faced with punishment that is equivalent to the gravity of their actions.
Next, I contacted media publications and my local MP to speak out on the injustice in my case.
I’ve also begun to work with a team of advocates and mentors to draft reform laws, so no other victim has to face the same fate I did.
In August, I met with NSW Attorney General Michael Daley to discuss the changes I believe are needed.
Two months on from the sentencing, I’m still working through the trauma of what happened to me. And Downs has since lodged his intention to appeal his conviction.
But I’m very grateful for the support from my friends and family.
My petition has gained more than 40,000 signatures, and I hope this will allow us to make real change one day.
With the continued support from the Australian public, I have no doubt that the legal system will soon change for the better.
To support Anastasia’s petition, visit c.org/MGZC7dzCgR
