INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — The family of two young sexual assault victims is speaking out, expressing frustration and heartbreak over the prolonged legal process that has left them waiting nearly six years for justice.
George Bollis, now 77, was arrested by the Indian River County Sheriff's Office in 2019. He was charged with three counts of sexual battery of a minor, stemming from alleged abuse involving young family members.
"At the time of the arrest, our oldest was 13, and the second oldest was 11," the victims' parents, who did not want to be identified, told WPTV.
The family said the abuse allegations date back even further, leaving them devastated that the case has yet to go to trial.
"WE FEEL HOPELESS"
The victims' parents shared their frustration over the numerous delays.
"It's made all of us feel we're never going to see justice," one parent said. "We feel hopeless."
The oldest victim, who is now an adult, said the trauma of the abuse lingers. She also chose to remain anonymous but described how the fear still haunts her daily.
"Anytime I'm out and I see a white pickup truck, I think, 'Oh my God, what if that's him?’'" the victim said.
The family worries that time may run out before Bollis ever stands trial.
"I worry that now that he is 77 years old that he will die before we ever have a chance to see justice for our daughters," a parent of the victims said.
Indian River County State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl acknowledged the long delay but denied that his office is to blame.
"I guarantee you we're not holding this particular case up," Bakkedahl said.
He added that the years-long wait is a systemic issue.
"That's an absolutely ludicrous fact that this case is 6 years old," he said. "The fixes that have to come from the rest of the criminal justice system are somebody else's problem."
TRIAL DATE UNCERTAIN
According to the Indian River County Clerk’s Office, Bollis is now facing 15 felony charges related to the sexual assault of two minors.
The next scheduled court date is March 26 for a private attorney docket call.
The victims' family members remain hopeful that justice will eventually be served, but they fear what message the prolonged process sends.
"If this is what happens when children report being raped," a parent of the victims said, "we have failed as a society."
