These are some of the experiences of child sexual abuse shared with the Truth Project by victims and survivors. All names and identifying details have been changed.
Download a PDF sample of accountsread full account of Sorrells experienceSorrell says when it comes to reporting sexual abuse ‘children should not be left to decide’
Sorrell thinks that when she told responsible adults she had been sexually abused, there should have been a duty for them to report it.
At the time she said she didn’t want them to, because she was scared of the repercussions.
read full account of Ivors experienceIvor says ‘I will never be free of what this person did to me’
Decades after he was sexually abused, Ivor is tormented with guilt that he didn’t report the perpetrator.
He says ‘Sexual abuse is vile, but the sting in the tail is the psychological damage that’s done’.
read full account of Liams experienceNo one asked Liam why he kept running away when he was placed in a children’s home
Liam was taken into care in the early 1970s because his mother was unable to look after him.
He was sexually abused by his social worker. In recent years, other victims have come forward and the man has been charged with several offences.
read full account of Calvins experienceCalvin was scared of his mother and tried to stay away from her as much as possible
Calvin grew up in the early 1950s in a difficult family environment, with a violent, neurotic and unstable mother.
He suffered sexual abuse by his mother, and also by her boyfriend.
read full account of Sharans experienceAll the people who could have protected Sharan from sexual abuse let her down
Sharan was told by her mother that she should not walk round in her nightclothes to avoid being sexually abused by her stepfather.
Professionals involved with the family failed to act on reports and signs that she was being abused.
read full account of Mairis experienceMairi is determined to give her children a better life than she had
Mairi grew up in chaos.
Her mother neglected her and left her with men who abused her.
read full account of Sharones experienceAs a survivor Sharone says ‘There are days when I just want to get wasted, but it’s not the answer’
Sharone was brought up by her stepmum, who she describes as ‘fragile’.
Because of this, she went to great lengths to cover up the fact that she was being sexually abused.
read full account of Amandas experienceAmanda reported her teacher to the police after the Jimmy Savile case became public
Amanda says of her family life: ‘Everything was about pleasing daddy.’
There were sexualised and controlling relationships between her father and his wife and children, who were encouraged to compete for his favour and attention. She believes this dynamic made her vulnerable to sexual abuse in the residential school she attended.
read full account of Roisins experienceThe teacher who abused Roisin told her an important lesson in life was knowing how to lie
Roisin was vulnerable and isolated when she was a child.
A teacher singled Roisin out to groom and sexually abuse her. She now realises she had been brainwashed into believing it was a love affair.
read full account of Savannahs experienceSavannah was scared of getting into trouble and this stopped her telling anyone she was being abused
Savannah’s parents divorced when she was a young child and she spent time with both of them.
Her mother physically abused her, and she was sexually abused by a teenage babysitter at her father’s house.
read full account of Beaus experienceBeau thought no one would believe that such a respected figure was sexually abusing him
Beau endured three years of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest who groomed him and his parents.
He says he has ‘buried’ what happened for nearly 50 years, and this has made things difficult for him and his family.
read full account of Di-Annes experienceDi-Anne feels strongly that improvements are needed in mental health services for abuse survivors
Di-Anne’s childhood experiences of abuse and trauma have left her with lasting mental health issues.
She feels that many professionals have no understanding of the effects of abuse.