THE family of a nine-year-old girl who was indecently assaulted by a 16-year-old youth say they have had to move away from their home to "get her innocence back".

The girl, now 10, suffered from nightmares for "many months" after the incidents, but her family says she is now all right.

The youth who attacked her, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of indecent assault last month and was sentenced on Tuesday.

A district judge ordered the boy, now 17, to complete a 12-month supervision order, pay £750 court costs and said he would be on the Sex Offenders' Register for two-and-a-half years.

The victim's parents say they feel satisfied they have been vindicated, but regret their daughter's innocence has been taken, and believe her attacker should have been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

"We feel that the whole system is wrong and is geared to the offender and not the victim. But, we would like to make special thanks to the police and friends who have supported us throughout this awful time in our child's life," said the girl's father.

"The sooner the law changes and locks these sort of people away for good the better, and the sooner the law allows the Press to name and shame the better, too.

"Any sentence would never be enough in our eyes - he has robbed a little girl of her innocence - and in light of the recent Sarah Payne case we think he should have had a custodial sentence."