Eveline says she learned at a young age not to trust people
All names and identifying details have been changed.
Participants have given us permission to share their experiences.
Eveline’s mother married a man who had served a prison sentence for rape.
He sexually abused Eveline throughout her childhood, and as an adult she helped secure a conviction against him.
Eveline’s parents were separated and she was born with heroin withdrawal because of her mother’s addiction.
Her mother’s husband, Grant, sexually abused Eveline for about 10 years and her mother was violent and abusive to her. Social services were involved with the family and sometimes asked her how she was, but always in front of her mother.
When she was in her early teens, Eveline told a teacher at her school what was happening to her at home. The teacher sexually abused her, but Eveline did not want to report it because she knew he had a family.
As an adult, Eveline reported the abuse by Grant to the police. It took several years, but he was convicted and sentenced to prison.
She still suffers physical and mental effects from being abused for so long. She feels that she was betrayed by many adults who should have protected her, including her mother, other relatives, social workers and the teacher. She has been diagnosed with PTSD and is receiving counselling.
She finds it hard to understand why Grant was allowed to live with her family when he had a conviction for rape.
Eveline would like social services to be more aware of possible problems and to listen, ask questions and not make judgements. She would like to see court procedures explained clearly, especially to people who will find them stressful, and she is concerned about the lack of counselling support available for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.
She is now in a stable and happy marriage with children, and has work that she values. She says that how she feels can vary between extremes but she allows herself to cry and feel the loss and sadness about her younger life.