Victim of Malaysian diplomat rapist revealed

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:



The 21-year-old woman who alleged a Malaysian soldier sexually assaulted her has revealed herself to discuss the mishandling of the case and a symptomatic breakdown in how New Zealand treats victims of sexual violence.

Tania Billingsley voluntarily had her name suppression lifted so she could share her thoughts with the media on her complaint against Second Warrant Officer Muhammad Rizalman Ismail, a defence assistant at the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington.

Reports said Rizalman was arrested on May 9 and charged with burglary and assault with intent to rape after allegedly following Billingsley home.

"I guess that I'm someone who has something to say about this assault," she was quoted as saying by New Zealand media today.

"It happened to me and throughout this whole process, especially once it's become so public, my voice hasn't been heard. And I do, obviously, have a lot to say about this. I'm not just a bystander."

Rizalman left New Zealand on May 22 after Wisma Putra invoked diplomatic immunity for him.

Putrajaya had wanted to set up a military inquiry but have agreed to send the soldier back to New Zealand to assist investigations.

He has yet to return to the Commonwealth country as the Defence Ministry said he is undergoing medical treatment.

Billingsley told the media her feelings when she found out that Rizalman was allowed to return to Malaysia.

"Obviously I was frustrated and I was angry because I had from the very beginning said that I wanted him to stay in New Zealand and be held accountable here," she said.

Billingsley said the decision to come out and speak on the issue was motivated by her desire to be identified and for everyone to know her story.

"Because I'm hoping that in revealing who I am and having a face to put to this alleged victim that I'll be able to help address some of the issues around sexual violence in this country."

"In making myself too public I am making myself quite vulnerable to people who see this differently than me and also just being so visible is quite a scary thing," she said.

The case grabbed headlines in Malaysia and New Zealand after it was reported that Rizalman had returned to Malaysia after invoking diplomatic immunity, despite his arrest in Wellington on May 9.

Although the Malaysian government had said that Rizalman would be sent back to New Zealand to face the charges against him, so far no exact date has been fixed as Rizalman is said to be undergoing more psychiatric tests after doctors found him to be withdrawn and depressed. – July 9, 2014.


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