A staunch advocate against child abuse who helped to bring disgraced tennis coach Bob Hewitt to book has died.
Born Suellen Sheehan, she changed her name to Olivia Jasriel and founded the Jasriel Foundation, dedicated to implementing safeguarding policies in sports.
Her death was announced on Thursday by the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation saying they are deeply mourning her passing.
"Olivia publicly stated that she had struggled all her life with depression, relationships, low self-esteem, eating disorders and terrible abandonment and rejection issues as a result of her abuse. We choose to remember Olivia as a warrior - not as a victim who fought many personal battles caused by a wounded childhood.
"We choose to remember Olivia as a warrior - not as a victim who fought many personal battles caused by a wounded childhood." the statement read.
Bob Hewitt was found guilty more than 30 years after raping and sexually abusing Olivia when she was just 12 years old.
The now 86-year-old Hewitt, who maintained his innocence, was under investigation for several years and was finally charged and convicted for raping and sexually assaulting three of his former tennis students.
He was sentenced to six years and became the oldest inmate at the St Albans Correctional Facility.
In 2016. he was also stripped of all tennis legacy when his name was removed from the International Tennis Hall of Fame, where he was also expelled.
After serving just over three years of his six-year sentence he was granted parole in 2019, the same month the prison recorded its first positive case of Covid-19.
Olivia Jasriel complained to the parole board as she believes that Hewitt has shown no remorse.
Her cause of death was not disclosed.
