Canadian-Australian author and model , Tara Moss , has opened up about being raped 20 years ago to highlight violence against women . The 41-year-old sat down with Tracy Grimshaw on Wednesday night 's A Current Affair , a year after she first discussed the issue in her book , to speak candidly about the sexual assault in Vancouver by ' a friend ' who she felt like she 'trusted ' . 'About 20 years ago , I was sexually assaulted by a person giving me a ride home from an acting class , ' Moss starts off . Scroll down for video . Canadian-Australian author and model , Tara Moss , opened up to A Current Affair 's Tracy Grimshaw on Wednesday night about being raped 20 years ago to highlight violence against women . On the Channel 9 show she spoke candidly about the sexual assault in Vancouver by ' a friend ' who she felt like she 'trusted ' 'It 's a person that I trusted , in so much as they were a new friend , in amongst other new friends in this class . 'When I did go forward to the police , I did n't feel I got the support I would have liked , I think that is a fairly common situation for many people . 'As time went on it became clear that there were other charges that had been put forward in the past and another several women came forward , in fact , there were about a dozen in total , ' she explained . Moss , who was just 21 at the time of the attack , said he drove her to his house and invited her in for a cup of tea . He then threw himself on her and would not take no for an answer . Moss , who was just 21 at the time of the attack , said he drove her to his house and invited her in for a cup of tea . 'This sort of trauma is a complex trauma and the impact it had on me was massive , ' she opened up . The man was jailed for two years , but not for the assault on Moss . He was found guilty of rape against another woman when one of his friends testified against him . ' I think it 's very telling that the case he was convicted on , he was convicted on because one of his mates was happy to testify against him , ' she said . 'We needed the testimony of a man to put this man away . ' At the time she said did n't feel like she was supported by police . Opening up : Moss decided to come forward once more with her personal experience to help highlight the issue of domestic violence , which takes the lives of one Australian woman ever week . Moss decided to come forward once more with her personal experience to help highlight the issue of domestic violence , which takes the lives of one Australian woman ever week . 'This kills more women than cancer , ' she said . Moss , who is a patron of the Full Stop Foundation that offers support services and criminal justice responses to victims , is calling for more help for women who are brave enough to come forward . Moss , who is a patron of the Full Stop Foundation that offers support services and criminal justice responses to victims , is calling for more help for women who are brave enough to come forward . 'We need to actually listen and take it seriously all the way through the process from that first interaction , when we hear about it through to the courts and the sentencing . 'We need to take this stuff seriously and sadly , that is not always the case . 'Unfortunately , the message that that sends is that this sort of violence is OK. ' Moss first broke her 20-year silence in her first non-fiction book , The Fictional Woman , which was published last year . She lives in the Blue Mountains with her Australian poet husband Berndt Sellheim and their three-year-old daughter Sapphira . If you 're a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault or know someone who needs help , you can contact the free help-line,1800 RESPECT or visit Full Stop Foundation . She lives in the Blue Mountains with her Australian poet husband Berndt Sellheim . Mother duties : Tara has one daughter , Sapphira , three .
Sexual assault happened 20 years ago in Vancouver when Moss was 21 . At the time she said did n't feel like she was supported by police . The man was jailed for two years for the rape of another woman . The Canadian-Australian first opened up on the trauma in a book last year .