By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A prowler on “ice” who crept into a family home, awoke a young girl and stripped both her and himself naked, has been jailed.
On the same night in January 2021, Ajol Mijak, 28, of Dandenong North, also broke into another home and assaulted a mother in her bedroom.
He pleaded guilty at the County Court of Victoria to sexual assault of a child under 16, common law assault, trespass, wilful damage and committing the offences while on bail.
In the first terrifying episode on the same night in January 2021, Mijak entered a home by ripping through a bedroom window flyscreen where children were sleeping.
Mijak moved into their mother’s bedroom. He held his hand over the frightened woman’s mouth as she screamed and swore at him, telling him to leave the house.
He struck her ear with his hand, and then fled.
During the second break-in, Mijak walked into the bedroom of two children asleep in a bunk.
He took a seven-year-old autistic child into the laundry and removed her clothes. He then took off his shorts, punched her in the face and made “rude comments”.
At that time, a police officer, who was called to the earlier break-in, appeared at the laundry window.
Mijak fled into the mother’s bedroom where he put on a jumper. The mother yelled at him, and pushed him out of the house, where he was arrested.
In sentencing on 10 February, Judge Holding said the victims would have been “terrified”.
“Taking a seven-year-old, autistic child from her own bed and manhandling her in the manner in which you did cannot, in my view, be regarded as not a serious instance of this offence.“
Mijak told a police interview he had mental health issues, and no recollection of the offending. He later recalled using meth and alcohol hours earlier.
In a letter to the court, a “remorseful” Mijak wrote: “My actions make me a monster”.
Born in a Kenyan refugee camp, Mijak and other family members migrated to Australia as refugees.
On a two-year trip back to Sudan in 2016, he witnessed murder and dismemberment before his escape.
A psychologist reported Mijak had likely had episodes of “drug-induced psychosis”.
He assessed Mijak’s risk of sexual re-offending as moderate, and heightened if he uses “ice”.
Judge Holding noted concern that Mijak reportedly heard voices instructing him to assault people and set them on fire, as well as thinking of inflicting sexual assaults.
Mijak’s early guilty plea, remorse and genuine intent to “change your ways” were mitigatory.
But his “significant” criminal history bore “similarities” to his latest offending, the judge said.
It included a prior aggravated burglary and assault while withdrawing from “ice”, as well as stealing his younger brother from his mother’s home.
He had previously served two stints in jail.
Mijak was jailed for 29 months, followed by a 20-month supervised community corrections order.
His CCO includes a night curfew for at least four months, judicial monitoring and drug, alcohol and mental health treatment.
He must report as a registered sex offender for eight years.
