Harriet feels that poor communication by the police has made her ordeal even worse
All names and identifying details have been changed.
Participants have given us permission to share their experiences.
Harriet was raped repeatedly over five years by a teenager who lived in her neighbourhood.
The police said there was not enough evidence to prosecute the abuser, but reopened the case when another victim came forward.
Harriet grew up in a rural village where ‘everyone knew everyone’ and all the children played out together, but she says she was quite withdrawn and ‘didn’t really make friends’.
A boy called Phil started to sexually abuse her when she was about four years old. The abuse continued for about five years and included vaginal and anal rape.
Phil was in his early teens when he started abusing her. A few years later he left to join the army, but he still abused her on occasions when he came home on leave. Harriet says she knew what was happening was wrong, but she didn’t tell anyone about it, partly because he threatened her – once with an air rifle – and also because she thought she would be blamed.
She was nine the last time he raped her, and when she was 12, she told her mother about the abuse. Her mother did nothing because, Harriet says, she was worried that Harriet’s dad would beat Phil up. She also told a school friend around this time and says she got the impression that the abuse had been common knowledge.
A few years later, Harriet saw Phil playing with a young child on the street, and this made her decide to report him to the police. She gave a video interview, and the police questioned Phil, who denied the allegations. After a couple of weeks, the police told her there was not enough evidence to proceed with the case. She says ‘I didn’t feel believed’.
However, a few years ago, the police contacted Harriet because another person had made similar allegations against Phil. Her video interview had been destroyed so she had to give another one. The case was reopened and Phil was charged.
She is also aware of others who say they were abused by Phil, and she feels that she and they were let down by the initial police investigation. She also feels they have not kept her well informed about the case.
Harriet describes the ways that she has been affected by the abuse and the investigation. As a teenager, she says she ‘had a difficult time dealing with it’ and started missing school and engaging in risky behaviour. Having to relive the experience recently has caused her anxiety and depression.
She believes that the police should be more aware of the possible effect on victims of talking about sexual abuse and also the need for good communication with them. She thinks the police should work more closely with support services – she says it would have been helpful if they had given her advice about seeking therapy or support.
Harriet emphasises the importance of training for teachers in awareness of possible signs of abuse, and adds there should be a trusted and easily available person in schools for children to report abuse to.
She concludes by saying that she hopes speaking to the Truth Project might help other people going through the same experience she had.