A woman who accused Jian Ghomeshi of sexual assault and testified against him in court broke her silence Monday to speak out against the justice system.

Linda Redgrave, who asked the judge to lift a publication ban preventing the media from publishing her name, told CP24 Monday she came forward to fight a “pattern that was emerging.”

“I came forward to the media so people could know it wasn’t just me, (that it) didn’t just happen to me,” she said.

“I came forward to police because (former Toronto police chief Bill Blair) said there was not (a) statute of limitation – he was telling women to come forward. He wanted to hear from complainants.”

Redgrave and two other women testified against Ghomeshi, telling the court that the former CBC radio star became suddenly violent during their dates, all of which occurred between 2002 and 2003. A judge found Ghomeshi not guilty on all charges.

Redgrave gave contradictory statements about the account to police and then to the courtroom. She attributed it to a foggy memory about events that happened 13 years ago.

Ghomeshi’s lawyers presented the court with a photo that Redgrave sent to Ghomeshi after the alleged attack took place. In the emailed photo, Redgrave is wearing a bikini. Defense lawyers used the photo to contradict Redgrave’s earlier proclamation that she wanted nothing to do with the radio personality.

Redgrave said complainants – especially ones that are unfamiliar with the justice system – are at a great disadvantage.

“It’s a very uneven playing field… A person like myself goes up against a 25-year professional and gets whacked to death. Where is the fairness in that?” she said. “It should be a civil suit meets restorative justice – he should have to speak, (and have) everyone represented in court. Not just follow the law. The system doesn’t work.”

Redgrave said she didn’t get a lesson on the proper procedures, the policies to follow and as a result, she was misinformed.

“I didn’t know the statement I made in a flurry of nerves is the statement that would be used in court,” she said. “If I knew that I would have taken more care in what I said and (would have been) more descriptive.”

When asked about the not guilty verdict on all counts, Redgrave said she wasn’t surprised, just disappointed with the judge’s harsh words for the complainants.

“He doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know what I went through. He only knows what I told him in court and honest to God, that was the truth. And the only thing that made me look not credible was my memory was fragmented and he held that against me,” she said.

“He needs to take into consideration how memory affects and works after trauma given the timeline,” she continued. “It’s been 13 years, not 6 months. Memory will remember a main event, not all the little details.”

Redgrave said she was “really upset” after the verdict was read out and felt like she needed to help other women by speaking out in hopes of helping change the system.

“As women, we need to speak up or else it will be our dirty little secret.”