SHE WAS 12 SHE TOLD THE TRUTH POLICE SHUT HER DOWN
She spoke up at 12, police said 'no evidence' Two decades later, Amy's demanding answers from the NSW Police Commissioner who shut her down
⚠️Content Warning⚠️
This article contains references to child abuse, coercive control, domestic violence, and institutional neglect. Support services are listed at the end.
In 2004, Amy Jerrick — then legally known as Amy McGill — travelled to The Rock, a small town about 35 kilometres from Wagga Wagga
She was visiting an adult relative
She was 12 years old
Over the course of the weekend, Amy was subjected to experiences that left her deeply traumatised
When she returned home, her mother took her to Wagga Wagga Police Station. They were supported by a DCJ worker
The officer who took her statement was Detective KAREN WEBB
Yes — that KAREN WEBB
Now COMMISSIONER OF NSW POLICE
Amy was told there “wasn't enough evidence” to proceed, ONLY if she testified in court
She was 12
She declined
The case was closed
Her trauma was not
They didn’t just close a file
They closed a life
Mine” — Amy
There was NO FOLLOW-UP
NO SUPPORT
NO PROTECTION
By 15, Amy had entered a relationship with a man more than a decade older
Not by coincidence — by conditioning
She experienced patterns of control and fear that echoed what the system had failed to interrupt
She became pregnant but miscarried at 16 weeks
She later gave birth to two daughters
They are now 14 and 12
“I call him my angel son
He was part of my story even if he never got to take a breath
That grief changed me
It made me want to protect what matters” — Amy
A SON A PROMISE A LINE IN THE SAND
In 2021, Amy gave birth to a son in a safe, supportive relationship
It REIGNITED her voice
And her sense of purpose
“I swore he’d never inherit my silence
I needed him to know that what happened to me was never okay
That we all have voices
And we never let silence protect the wrong people” — Amy
2022 SHE ASKED POLICE TO REOPEN HER CASE
NSW Police declined
Her original file had already been closed in 2004
Signed off with the words (No EVIDENCE)
Amy was never recontacted
Her file never re-examined
No one asked if she was ready now
She was advised she would need to subpoena her own records
‘The fact I need a subpoena to access my own trauma tells me something is being protected
And it’s not me” — Amy
WHAT’S IN THAT FILE
Amy’s statement remains sealed
She has not been allowed access
She is currently waiting on old family photographs that may support her memory of a separate incident of domestic violence
Her grandmother is helping her locate them
After they closed the case
I disappeared
Not physically
But emotionally
I stopped existing to them
I was too afraid to speak at 12
But I’m 34 now
And I’m ready” — Amy
THE PATTERN ISN’T NEW
Amy’s story is one of many
In Underground Media Network’s reporting series Beneath the Badge, other survivors and whistleblowers have come forward with similar experiences under NSW Police leadership
Reports ignored
Cases downgraded
Victims discredited
Officers protected
The silence isn’t accidental It’s operational
WHAT AMY DESERVES
Access to her file
A trauma-informed, independent case review
Transparency over who sealed the records
A formal acknowledgement of institutional failure
Genuine reform — not media spin
They told me I didn’t matter
And for a long time
I believed them
But not anymore” — Amy
NSW POLICE RESPONSE
NSW Police were contacted for comment
No reply was received before publication
This article will be updated if one is provided
SUPPORT SERVICES
If this article raises issues for you or someone you know, please reach out
1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732
Full Stop Australia – 1800 385 578
Link-Up NSW – 1800 624 332
Lifeline – 13 11 14
You are not alone
FINAL NOTE
Amy Elizabeth Daphne Jerrick has given full, informed consent for the publication of her name, former legal name and personal history
The identity of the alleged perpetrator has been withheld in line with legal and ethical standards
Amy retains the right to revise or withdraw her consent at any time
UNDERGROUND MEDIA NETWORK IS SURVIVOR-LED AND FIERCE
We don’t censor
We don’t sanitise truth to protect power
We tell the truth
And we’re not afraid
If this story moved you — amplify it
© 2025 Underground Media Network. All rights reserved.
Title of Work: She Was 12. She Told the Truth. Police Shut Her Down.
Author: Landon Ashton Versace Germanotta-Mills
Survivor Testimony Contributor: Amy Elizabeth Daphne Jerrick (formerly McGill)
First Published: 23 April 2025
Platform: Underground Media Network (https://undergroundmedianetwork.substack.com)
This article contains original testimony, survivor narrative, and investigative reporting protected under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) and applicable international copyright conventions.
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