Hayas Kardo was found guilty of raping Megan Bales, 30, by a judge-alone trial in November last year.
The 63-year-old taxi driver has been in custody since the guilty verdict.
During his trial, the District Court heard he waited for Ms Bales to fall asleep in the spa at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre and then used the cover of the spa’s bubbles to conceal his actions.
The 30-year-old delivered her victim impact statement in an Adelaide courtroom today, describing how she has suffered from “crippling anxiety and panic attacks” since the September 2018 attack.
“You have changed every aspect of me as a person,” she said.
Ms Bales detailed how prior to the attack, she was a talented chef but soon after was let go from her job and was barely able to leave her house.
Her relationship with her fiancé crumbled and they have now split.
She turned to alcohol to cope with her anxiety, impacting her relationships with family members, friends and colleagues.
More than two years on, she continues to suffer from nightmares and can’t perform everyday tasks anymore.
Despite this, she says she has chosen to forgive Kardo.
“I have no room in my heart for hate, so today I choose to forgive you,” she said.
“I deserve to be free of hate and free of fear and free of despair.”
This content first appear on 9news