One in 10 young women were sexually assaulted in the past year. Now one survivor is demanding change.

Jake Milner ambushed and attacked his victim after she had too much alcohol and was unable to get home.

The girl, a high-achiever at school, experimented like many youngsters with drink in her early teens.

One evening, after becoming too intoxicated and embarrassed to see her parents, the 14-year-old sought refuge at the 26-year-old’s flat.

That decision, through no fault of her own, would prove life-changing.

“I hated myself for a long time, I hated my body because he enjoyed assaulting it, I still remember the words he said to me while raping me.

“Calling me his little girl, knowing I was just a young teen, referring to my body as tiny and little, it was disgusting, it made me numb for a long time,” she said.

"Sex offences committed in drink 'all-too-common'..."

The inebriated circumstances in which she was attacked are all-too-common.

Just recently, two Kent men received lengthy sentences for separate chilling attacks on isolated teenagers.

Mark Matthews, of Broadlands Drive, Chatham, was jailed for 10 years after raping an unconscious teenager in November.

In February, serial rapist Bradley Carman, 22, of Ince Road in Sturry, was handed seven-and-a-half years for raping two teenagers he spiked, rendering them powerless, as his friend filmed and laughed.

It comes as the NHS pledged more support for survivors of sexual assault, as part of a £20 million boost for specialist services.

And it includes around-the-clock support from dozens of sexual assault referral centres (sarc), offering mental health and medical advice for anyone who has been raped, assaulted or abused.

Most recent figures reveal an estimated 4.9 million women have been victims of sexual assault.

Sexual assault was most common among younger women, with about one in 10 aged 16 to 24 having been a victim in the past year, Office for National Statistics analysis estimates.

One in 40 young women said they had been victims of rape in the past year, alongside one in five women having been the victim of stalking since the age of 16 - twice the number for men, the ONS suggests.

Milner’s victim, who must remain anonymous, said her case was hampered by chaotic communication with prosecutors - an accusation Kent Police largely denies.

She explained officers told her Milner pleaded guilty to the attack when he had not.

“I had a celebration afterwards, it meant I wouldn't have to relive my trauma through a trial or miss any more school days.

“Then I was told that was a mistake and they didn't actually know what his plea was - my emotions were all over the place.”

With her depression and anxiety intensifying, police and the Crown Prosecution Service reportedly kept her in the dark for three years, only to allegedly make her feel “appalled and disgusted” in interviews.

Some lines of questioning felt so insensitive she “constantly felt like I had to prove myself to people.”

“An officer’s questions were mainly about what clothing I was wearing, or about my behaviour towards my attacker.

“It felt like the implication was I ‘asked for it’.

“They also asked me if I would put myself in that situation again.

“I was appalled and disgusted it should even be something you ask someone who was sexually assaulted.”

She continued: “Someone’s clothes do not make them ask to be raped and neither does their behaviour while intoxicated.

“No one asks to be raped.”

It would take about four years for her to see Milner, formerly of Dover, locked up for sexual assault amid delays in the underfunded and Covid 19 hit justice system.

And it prompted a judge to tell the girl he was “astonished” the CPS “did not charge with rape.”

Milner, a serving prisoner at HMP Elmley, was convicted of three counts of sexual activity with a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and four non-contact sexual offences.

He was handed an extended sentence of six years custody, with a further six on licence.

But the survivor of his attack is the latest to hit out at the prosecution’s handling of her case.

“They need to make rape and sexual assault their main priority, keep people updated on everything that is happening with the correct information.

“Spend time with them, listen attentively, tell them you're sorry to hear about what happened, that you want to help them and help them feel safe.

She added: “Don’t make them feel like they have to doubt themselves.

“Or make them question whether it’s worth going to court because the answer is yes, it’s worth it - justice and peace is worth it.”

Her words echo another survivor, who told KentOnline the process of reporting rape is “exceptionally stressful especially with the delays".

The number of rape and sexual assault victims who have waited more than a year for their trial to go through the courts has soared, reports show.

Cases leaped from 246 to 1,316 - a 435% increase - between March 2020 and June last year, figures in a National Audit Office report suggest.

“I wasn’t even sure at times if I could carry on with (the prosecution) during my trial, there were so many times I wanted to pull out,” she said.

“I knew my memory would fade over time, and that would give the defence more fodder than it otherwise would have had.“

“Being raped is one of the most traumatic experiences anyone can go through or be forced to relive.

“More delays will see more alleged victims withdraw their support from prosecutions because they just want their lives back.”

DCI Nicola Ross, of the east Kent vulnerability investigation team, said: “Kent Police puts victims at the heart of everything we do and takes any concerns about their experience of the justice system seriously.

“Offences of a sexual nature are among the most sensitive we deal with and are often traumatic for victims to discuss, so we always work to minimise the impact on them as much as possible.

“Kent Police was contacted on 19 May 2018 concerning reported sexual offences against a teenage girl at a property in Dover."

She added an investigation was launched immediately leading to the arrest of Milner, also known as Milner-Homewood, the following day.

“The suspect was then bailed while a thorough investigation took place, including forensic analysis and detailed interviews with the victim, the suspect and witnesses,” she continued.

"The victim was at one point incorrectly advised the defendant had pleaded guilty..."

“During the investigation, the victim and her family were regularly contacted and updated by the investigating officer. They were given the officer's contact details so they could raise any questions they had.

“Following a file being sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, four charges of engaging in sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 15 were authorised against Jake Milner-Homewood in November 2020.

She added: “Due to a miscommunication during the court proceedings, the victim was at one point incorrectly advised the defendant had pleaded guilty. This was corrected as soon as the error was realised.

“Following a trial, Milner was convicted of all four counts at Canterbury Crown Court and jailed.

“He is a dangerous offender who committed serious offences against a teenage girl and he alone is responsible for these crimes.”