But on Monday, the women gathered strength and gave their younger selves a powerful voice, with one victim issuing a heartbreaking message to the "little girl who hung in there".
"Only I know how dark and lonely it got but somehow you used that pain to fuel the fire in you," the woman, now in her 30s, told the Victorian County Court.
Medals and trophies in her parents' cabinet were evidence she gave life her best shot.
"But your greatest achievement in the face of pure evil is that you lived a life of kindness and empathy," she said.
"Little girl you can rest easy now. It's over. He can't hurt you anymore."
The woman was one of six girls aged between four and 12 who were sexually abused by Buddhist monk Naotunne Vijitha.
Vijitha, 71, was convicted following a jury trial in October over the sexual abuse that occurred inside his temple living quarters, a prayer room and at Sunday school.
Jurors found the monk guilty of 17 of 19 sexual penetration of a child charges, acquitting him of two counts of indecent act with a child.
The abuse began after the Swedish national moved to Melbourne to become head monk of the Dhamma Sarana Buddhist temple at Springvale in 1994 and continued for eight years even after the temple was relocated to Keysborough in the early 2000s.
Like the other victims, memories of the crime have tormented the woman for decades.Â
"This nightmare started for me at an unimaginably young age, but I remember what you did to me as though it happened today," she said.
She remembered watching her mum weep and her dad's usually steady voice tremble when she confided in them after the pain and shame became too heavy to bear.
"They took me, their only child, to a place that should have been sacred and safe. Little did they know the monster that would be waiting," she said.
For another victim, also in her 30s, the ordeal that began when she was nine years old will never be over.
"Some parts of the little girl will never come back," she told the court.
"He didn't just violate my body, he poisoned my faith that I was born into."
Other victims told of the lifelong traumatic impacts Vijitha's abuse had on them, their relationships, careers and social lives, and many told of their inability to trust men.
Vijitha's barrister Nick Papas KC said the monk's old age and health issues, including an Alzheimer's diagnosis, made prison more onerous and if he were to be released, community members would be aware of his sexual abuse convictions.
Prosecutor Fiona Martin described Vijitha's offending as brazen and arrogant, given the victims were lured with lollies and books, and abused with their parents or other adults nearby.
Vijitha will be sentenced at a later date.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
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