A 16-year-old victim of sexual assault has been working with North Yorkshire Police in a bid to inspire confidence and build trust with others who may have been through a similar harrowing experience.

At age 14, Tilly was subjected to a serious sexual assault by an adult she looked up to and trusted. She bravely told someone about what had happened to her and they made a report to the police.

Her report was handed to one of our dedicated detectives, who carried out a detailed and thorough investigation and built a case which successfully put the person responsible for Tilly’s ordeal behind bars for ten years.

Determined to have some good come from her horror experience, earlier this year, the now 16-year-old contacted North Yorkshire Police to ask if a poem she had written about her experience could be used to help other victims and survivors.

The Northern Echo: Tilly's story is a poem written by a young victim of sexual assault.

Get the latest news, sports, and entertainment for only £5 for 5 months by subscribing to The Northern Echo here. 

Police and partner agencies safeguarded Tilly, supporting her, and since her ordeal have helped her recover and move on with her life.

For the past three months, the force has been working closely with Tilly to turn her story into a moving animation.

The animation, named ‘Tilly’s Story’ will be shared across the force’s social media channels, with the aim of reaching out to others who may have lived through an experience like Tilly’s, in a bid to build confidence in making a report to police.

The animation will also be shared with the force’s safeguarding partners and will also form a central part of the educational content used in local secondary schools by school liaison officers.

Speaking about the animation Tilly said: “I’m really pleased with ‘Tilly’s Story’. It’s been a great experience to work with North Yorkshire Police to turn my poem into an animation.

“I initially wrote the poem for myself, as a way of moving forward and putting this awful experience behind me. But then I thought, if my poem can help me, perhaps it could help others. So, I contacted North Yorkshire Police to see if they could help. We worked together on some ideas and now the animation is ready to be shared.

“I really hope sharing my story helps others. Even if it makes just the smallest difference to someone, I’ll be happy.”

Assistant Chief Constable Scott Bisset, force lead for Safeguarding said: “We’re incredibly thankful to Tilly for coming to us and asking us to help share her story. It’s an incredibly brave thing for a young person, who has gone through such a horrific experience, to do.

“Everyone at North Yorkshire Police is in awe of Tilly’s bravery, selflessness, and determination to turn this negative experience into something positive that will help others.

Read next: 

“Hopefully we have done her poem justice and that anyone who has experienced something similar to Tilly, who sees her story, feels reassured and confident that if they do report it to the police, we will listen to them.

“We take all reports of sexual assault incredibly seriously. We recognise the courage it takes to pick up the phone and make that call. To those who do, I can assure you that we will take positive action to bring about justice and do everything we can to safeguard and support you.”

You can watch the animation here.