The principal of a Christian school in Surrey has resigned after being disciplined for mishandling a sexual abuse complaint by a student. The incident occurred over five years ago, but the B.C. College of Teachers only suspended him last month.

The victim at the centre of the complaint is wondering why the complaint took so long to be processed. She wants her story told -- a story of how her principal treated her after he found out she'd been the victim of a sexual assault.

"I think about it every day. It's something that haunts me everyday."

"Embarrassed and as uncomfortable as I felt, I told him as much as I could," she says.

But instead of reporting the assault to police or social services, she says the principal at White Rock Christian Academy, Steve Paras, isolated her in a small room where she waited alone for hours. Eventually, the principal suspended her. She was just 13.

"For years, I felt that I was the bad one," she says.

But now it's Paras who's been suspended.

Professional Misconduct

The B.C. College of Teachers has found him guilty of professional misconduct for this and several other incidents involving students. His teaching license has been taken away for four months.

Paras resigned Thursday from his current job as vice-principal at Regent Christian Academy.

"I think it's just horrible for someone that's done something like that to a young girl that only gets a little slap on the hand," the victim's mother tells CTV News.

When asked why Paras only received only a four-month suspension, B.C. College of Teachers' Marie Crowther told CTV news she couldn't comment on the hearing panel's decision.

Even though the incidents occurred during the 2002/03 school year, the college handed down its decision. Sept 1st.

Crowther says taking five years from complaint to discipline is "not the ideal".

"Our target here at the college is one year," she says. "We've now hired a third investigator but at the particular time, we only had one investigator, an increase of cases, a backlog."

B.C.'s education minster was unavailable to discuss the case.

However, she did issue a statement, saying in part that "It is unusual for an investigation and hearing to take this amount of time and I have asked my staff to inquire about this delay."

Phone calls to Paras were not returned.

As for the victim, she's wishes she could just walk away, but says she's still waiting for justice.

"It's something I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life. It's something I'll never forget."

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro