"MY daughter has become a virtual prisoner in her own home."
Those are the chilling words from the mother of a 14-year-old who was sexually assaulted as she walked along the canal towpath in Delamere Terrace, close to their Little Venice home, writes the Paddington Marylebone and Pimlico Mercury.
Six months on, the family has still not been moved to a new home, where, her mother says, the girl could start to leave behind her traumatic memories.
Her parents have begged their housing organisation, Westminster Council's housing arm CityWest Homes, for help.
The girl's parents say their daughter, who cannot legally be identified, has become depressed from living near the scene of the attack.
"She cannot bear to leave the house unless there is someone with her and is scared to be in crowded places. We put in a request for an emergency move as soon as the assault happened and we were told we were a priority case," said the girl's distraught mother.
"We've looked at a couple of properties but they were unsuitable, one was too small for our family.
"She won't go out of the door without one of us.
"We have to walk her to school and pick her up afterwards.
"I'm very concerned about her as she has not been the same child since the attack happened.
"Her health is deteriorating as she has been so badly affected. We're just so desperate to move."
Westminster Council's deputy director of housing Steve Moore said the council was extremely sympathetic to the family's circumstances.
He added: "They have been made a priority by the council to be rehoused.
"This family are looking for a property in the north of the borough where there is huge demand for social housing.
"By August, if they have not found a home which they feel is suitable, because of the urgency of this case, we will ourselves identify a property and make them a direct offer to address this situation."
