Jessica Gardiner Wiki
Jessica Gardiner Biography
Who is Jessica Gardiner?
From the age of five, Jessica Gardiner lived in fear of being home alone with her father Peter, who took advantage of his brother’s weekly karate lessons and waited for the family to sleep at night to sneak into his father’s bed. little.
Her mother initially didn’t believe her when Jessica later came clean about her abuse, and it wasn’t until she confronted Gardiner and got a confession years later that she began her quest for justice.
The brave tradie can now share her heartbreaking story after Gardiner pleaded guilty to eight counts of child abuse and was sentenced last week.
Jessica now refuses to refer to him as her father.
Jessica Gardiner was terrified of her father Peter Gardiner
Jessica Gardiner was terrified of her father Peter Gardiner who sexually abused her from the age of five to 11.
“I think the hardest part is the fact that she was so innocent and so vulnerable,” she told A Current Affair.
I don’t know of anything worse that someone can do to a child.
“I had no idea, I just thought this is what happens between parents and children, I just thought this was normal.”
Jessica was petrified that Gardiner was growing up.
“He was always abusing us, cursing at us, pushing us around,” she recalled.
‘My brother used to go to karate classes, he would do them once a week and mum would take him and I remember that she was very afraid that she would leave, because she knew what she was coming.’
The abuse continued for six years until the age of 11, when Jessica began learning sex education at school as she remembered the last time he tried to take advantage of her.
It was like an epiphany moment. I just had to sit there in shock, putting the pieces together of what had happened in the last few years,” she said.
“I just remember looking into his eyes and saying ‘no’ and we were both looking into each other’s eyes.”
She finally worked up the courage to tell her mother a year later and was devastated when she believed Gardiner’s denials.
Arrest
Gardiner was arrested at his home in the NSW Southern Highlands south of Sydney in March 2021.
“She was broken but relieved at the same time,” Jessica said.
“I had literally sent my father to prison, but he was a huge relief too.”
Gardiner pleaded guilty to eight counts of child abuse, including sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 10 and maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child.
Jessica now hopes to inspire other survivors of sexual abuse to speak out and get justice.
Jessica attended the Goulburn Court House last Friday to remember the damage Gardiner has done to her, telling the court that no child should want to die for what a parent had done to them.
Gardiner appeared via video link and showed no emotion as he was sentenced to at least six years and three months behind bars.
With time already served in custody, Gardiner could be released in just five years.
Jessica broke her silence in a heartfelt and powerful Facebook post afterwards.
“You are not a father, you are a pedophile and you are not my father, you are my predator,” she wrote.
‘Today is the day I fought for justice.
‘Not just for me, but for all victims of sexual abuse.’
“On Tuesday, my story will be told publicly for all to hear and will be the beginning of my call for system change to help protect the safety and innocence of children.”
While Jessica believes Gardiner should have received a longer sentence, she has put his past behind her and looks to the future.
