Sophie Else, 29, finds it therapeutic to put her thoughts into words. As she sits at her computer, she types that she's brave, courageous, and strong.

But her blogging doesn't numb all the pain. That's because despite charges first being laid two decades ago, she's yet to have her day in court against the man she accuses of molesting her as a child.

"To sum up what the police have put us through, it's just horrible."

It's taken years for Ms Else to speak publicly. Even now, she can't tell her full story.

Laws introduced in South Australia in 2016 mean she can't disclose anything about how the police handled her case.

"I think it's a joke," she told 7.30.

Despite being gagged, Ms Else is determined to say as much as she's allowed about how and why her case has dragged on for 20 years.

2002 charges dismissed

In 1999, Ms Else and her family were living in the South Australian fishing town of Port Lincoln when they befriended Anthony Peter Freedendal through the local Assemblies of God Church.

"He made people feel instantly welcomed in the church. He gave us lollies and connected with the children," Ms Else told 7.30.

Months later, Ms Else told her mother Freedendal had molested her. After they took the allegations to local police, he was charged with indecent assault.

"Seven-year-old Sophie was fun. I felt that I had a lot of joy," she said.

Mr Freedendal's lawyer William Booth said his client maintains his innocence.

"His instructions to me are in essence, that he's not guilty of those charges," he told 7.30.

But to this day, the allegations remain untested in court.

In December 2002 a magistrate dismissed the charges after police prosecutors failed to provide witness statements to the defence on time.

Ms Else's mother Sherrie said the magistrate gave police ample opportunity to provide them.

"I was angry, pretty angry," she told 7.30. 

"If the police had done their job properly and appropriately, we wouldn't be in this situation right now."

Freedendal leaves the country

In 2003, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions advised local police to re-arrest Freedendal to face court again.

But when an officer started looking, they discovered Freedendal had left the country and had flown to South Africa.

7.30 put a series of questions to the South Australian Police but they didn't respond to those questions.

Freedendal faces court in 2011

Eight years had passed when Ms Else regained hope she'd get her day in court.

In 2011 Freedendal was back in Australia. Ms Else's legal advocate Simon Bruck said after facing court, Freedendal was granted bail and allowed to return to South Africa to do charitable work.

"He was allowed to exit Australia with a passport. He had to pay a surety. But unfortunately, he didn't return from South Africa, back to see the next hearing date at court in Australia," he told 7.30.

Freedendal's lawyer William Booth said his client couldn't return to Australia because of poor health.

"It amounts to his medical condition, so he was not able to fly and in fact, that was conveyed to the authorities in Australia," he told 7.30.

Ms Else, who was about 18 at the time, struggled to cope.

"I hated myself. I was going through my teenage years alone, I felt very out of place. I didn't feel like I'd fit in anywhere. I felt like a failure," she said. 

"I felt that I couldn't trust people."

Extradition delay

As a permanent resident of South Africa, Freedendal and his wife moved into a flat in Cape Town.

In 2016, five years after breaching his bail, the Australian government filed an application seeking Freedendal's extradition to face more than 20 counts of alleged sexual abuse against Sophie and other children.

"My mum and my dad, they were so excited and they were like, 'Our day is coming.' We were finally getting this moment, he's coming back," Ms Else told 7.30.

But six years on, Freedendal remains in South Africa.

Mr Booth said his client, now 80, was in no condition to fly to Australia and is appealing his extradition.

"He's quite happy to have his day in court but he doesn't wish to be detained, and the detention is making his medical condition even worse," he told 7.30.

"If he flies there [to Australia], that's going to significantly aggravate his medical condition."

South African court documents state Freedendal says he has skin cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes, a vascular disorder, fluid on his heart, and epilepsy.

Last year a judge agreed with the South African prosecutor's argument that those illnesses were exaggerated.

But Freedendal's lawyers say their client's health has taken a turn for the worse and he was admitted to hospital in September. He's back in prison but they say his condition is now critical.

"Over all these years, his condition has deteriorated significantly. I've seen it, I've visited him in prison on a fairly regular basis. I've seen how he's gone downhill," Mr Booth said.

"His wife has gone through significant trauma, emotionally distraught, and you know, she has to visit him quite often, bring in medication, because we've said he's not getting proper medication at Pollsmoor correctional facility."

Freedendal's been in a Cape Town prison since the extradition request was made by Australian authorities in 2016.

Last year, he was denied bail.

"He's been in custody, even though he regards himself as being innocent of the charges," Mr Booth told 7.30.

"Is it really in the interest of justice to pursue criminal charges where a man has already served many years, effectively?

"He hasn't even been convicted of these charges yet, but he's already served all this period of time, you know, he's been punished. That's got to be taken into account." 

A spokesman for Australia's Attorney-General's Department said as the matter was before the South African courts, it wouldn't be appropriate to comment.

Turning to writing to heal

Ms Else has turned her love of writing into a career in journalism for a regional newspaper.

"It's taken me a really long time to open up about how I'm feeling — years, it took me over 20 years to talk about how I am feeling," she said.

Her job is helping her in life, as is her son, who's now almost eight years old.

"My life has affected who I am as a person, but not [who] I am as a mother because I feel that when he was born, it was almost as if I was starting again."

With the ongoing extradition battle, Ms Else doesn't know how her story will end, but she's relieved that her experience with the criminal justice system is out in the open.

"I've been dealt a lot of bad cards, but I'm really resilient," she said. 

"I am strong, and I have my mum to thank for that because she has fought every step of the way to get where we are now."

One day, Ms Else hopes to tell her story, without any legal or legislative restrictions.

"I feel that Sophie now is going to extreme heights to get her story told — and I won't stop," she told 7.30.

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