Why Alliyah is identifying themselves as a victim-survivor — and the power this act holds

After nine years of grooming and sexual abuse at the hands of their former primary school teacher, Alliyah did more than just go to the police.

They told their story in full to a journalist.

Alliyah — who uses they/them pronouns — stepped me through their experience of being groomed, describing their abuser Kellie Whiteside's escalation from supportive teacher to romantic partner.

It wasn't an easy choice, but they wanted others to learn from what happened to them, and explain how grooming can play out in the age of smartphones and social media. "That's the whole point: highlighting the red flags," says Alliyah.

To do that in a way that would really stick with people, Alliyah chose to expose a deeply personal experience to the public.

"There is no hiding. I'm out there now," says Alliyah. "People know the most vulnerable part of me."

Why this was a powerful choice

Their choice also opened doors for reporting that were usually kept shut.

In Queensland, victims of sexual crimes can't be identified without their consent. This is an important safeguard for the privacy of those who have been wronged.

But it also suffers from an unfortunate side effect: it can protect those who may have let those victims down.

We wouldn't have been able to identify the schools involved — and question the Queensland Department of Education's handling of the complaints against Whiteside — without potentially identifying Alliyah.

Alliyah lifted this restriction by giving legal consent to be identified by the ABC. This meant we could name them in our reporting, rather than just quoting them anonymously.

The result was an investigation into how Whiteside continued to work across several Queensland schools for nine years despite multiple complaints made by Alliyah's family members.

The Queensland Education Department would not comment on specifics of the case for privacy reasons, and both principals involved declined to be interviewed.

Alliyah's story resonated with readers

When Alliyah's story was published, it was met with a flood of powerful messages from readers across the country.

One reader, who identified herself as a fellow victim of child sexual abuse, said they were "so impressed by [Alliyah's] determination".

A 75-year-old reader wrote in to say she "was moved to tears at [Alliyah's] courage and tenacity".

"They did nothing wrong, they were caught by a predator, but have broken free, and though it was hard, and beyond hard, have recovered themselves, and can become the person they choose. Tell them that my heart is beating for them, and wish them all the world of happiness."

Others were affected in similar ways.

"Alliyah's story is so different to mine, yet the same elements of coercive control are there," wrote one. "They absolutely did the right thing in coming forward, and the fact that they hesitated, considering the impact of doing this on others, shows that they have come through this adversity with their humanity intact. I'm full of admiration for them and wish them all the best for the future."

Reflecting on the reaction their story received, Alliyah is gratified that their choice had the desired effect.

"The point was to show people that they have a voice," Alliyah says, "to highlight what the red flags were."

"To have people actually responding and messaging and saying that that is what it's doing for them — it just makes it all worth it."

(Readers were contacted for their consent to publish these extracts)