Corwin has not let his experiences hold him back, but struggles with the impact of sexual abuse
All names and identifying details have been changed.
Participants have given us permission to share their experiences.
Corwin grew up in the 1950s in a large family.
His father, who had been in active service overseas during the Second World War, was brutal towards his wife and family, and sexually abused some of his children.
Corwin says that the family lived in cramped conditions in a small house. To help try and make ends meet, his mother worked during the evenings. While she was out of the house, Corwin's father began to sexually abuse him.
He is not sure exactly how old he was the first time this happened, but thinks he was about 12. Corwin recalls that a couple of weeks earlier, his younger sister had told him that their father had been ‘interfering’ with her. He says that at the time he didn’t take this seriously and he regrets that he teased her about it.
It was not long after this revelation that Corwin’s father began to abuse him. His mother was out working and it was bath night in the household. He remembers the tin bath being placed in front of the fire and filled with hot water.
With obvious emotion, he describes how his father masturbated over the bath while Corwin was in it. His father began talking to him about inappropriate subjects, including describing having sex with his mother.
Corwin remembers being totally bewildered about what was happening to him and the things his father was talking about.
Another extremely painful memory relates to a torch that Corwin had been given for Christmas, and was a prized possession of his. One night his father came into Corwin’s room, and sexually abused him using the torch for light. Corwin vividly recalls how he had wanted this torch so much, but after that incident he hated it.
The sexual abuse continued and became more extreme, with his father attempting to rape Corwin. He also regularly beat Corwin – one beating was so severe that his sister tried to persuade their mother to get him medical attention.
He says he used to go into school ‘half dead’ but no one ever asked him what was wrong. He often attended church with his father, and says he looked in a similar state, but again, no one at church seemed to notice.
Corwin explains that during his childhood, it seemed that his mother adored his father, despite the fact that his treatment of her was ‘brutal’. He now thinks that his mother was probably terrified of his father. He says he has often wondered whether his father’s experiences in the war had made him a cruel and callous person.
The turning point came when Corwin was 17. After another serious assault by his father he left home and found a job away from the area.
He considers that since then, he has led a very happy and fulfilled life, with a family and a successful career. He says he was determined not to let his horrific childhood stop him making a success of his life.
But, he adds, to this day, he experiences difficulties as a result of the abuse he suffered. He still has nightmares and is obsessive about hand-washing and germs. Recalling the abuse makes him feel upset and emotional.
Corwin thinks there is still much that should be done to prevent abuse. He would like there to be resources made available to organisations such as Childline to encourage children to report abuse and provide them with support.
He believes that teachers and the clergy should be better trained to identity any behaviour or trauma displayed by children that could be a symptom of child sexual abuse. He also thinks it is very important that professionals working with children should be proactive in the safeguarding process.