“Tolken faced cross examination by Hewitt’s defence council, led by Terry Price,” said director of Women And Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) Miranda Friedmann.
Friedmann said Price used ruthless defence tactics to undermine and discredit Twiggy’s testimony.
“It was heart-breaking to have to listen to the details of Twiggy’s abuse. There was no respect or understanding shown for the psychological effects of sexual abuse against young children.
“Children do not remember events in the same way as adults and it is extremely difficult and traumatic for adult victims to not only revisit their childhood trauma but to recall events as they remembered them a very long time ago, as in Twiggy’s case, 30 years ago,” said Friedmann.
“As she said when asked why it had taken so long to testify, she was scared, ashamed and worried that no one would believe her.
Twiggy’s parents opened a case against Hewitt in 1981 but it never got to court.
Hewitt faces three charges of rape.
The trial continues.
