Similar thing happened to me as a legal adult (ie 18) still living in my childhood home, except it was a violent assault and GBH of a young woman that I witnessed from my childhood home, right next to my garden. I’d already been a victim of violent crime in the same home as a child of 8 and had flashbacks and anxiety for years.
Went through all the police statement taking etc and was asked if I’d come forward as a witness if it went to court. I asked what steps would be taken to protect me as this man, if he got off, would know where I lived. I was assured I’d be protected, evidence behind a screen, police protection given if he did get off (ie if I called 999 there would be a car in attendance within 2 mins), even advised I might be able to give video link evidence because of my age and previous history as a victim of crime suffering from poor mental health as a result but I was also, in my opinion, guilt tripped. Told the trial hung on me. To think of the victim and how I’d feel if it was me (trust me, I couldn’t STOP thinking of the victim, I’d seen her head get beaten to a bloody pulp and stamped on over and over while she screamed and pleaded for her life).
It was about 2 years before it got to court because he kept going missing but I kept getting copies of my witness statement to agree to and where I lived was always so identifiable when I read it back. On the day I got to court (after being told videolink wasn’t possible), I was shaking, having panic attacks and when I got to the holding room the officers had no idea about the previous promises. I was put in a room with other witnesses who were freely discussing their statements with no supervision and I started to worry this could prejudice a fair trial and he could have grounds for appeal.
His previous violent crimes and history as a soldier were discussed which I hadn’t known about and which left me even more frightened. As the police were taking me into court, they explained something and said I didn’t need to look at the defendant and I quickly realised they’d “forgot” about the screen. I brought it up and they said I wasn’t having one. I told them that was a condition of me attending court and it was laughed off “yeah they’ll promise you anything to get you here!” then told it wasn’t necessary. I said I wouldn’t be appearing in court in that case and then the guilt tripping about the victim started again. I couldn’t take it and I literally just grabbed my bag and walked out. As it so happens, during a comfort break on his trial he managed to abscond yet again. The police were crap at protecting everyone involved in that trial.
Since then, I decided that I’d call the police again in similar circumstances but not give a statement or agree to appear in court in future.