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 Emmas experienceEmma is still haunted by the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of a doctor
Emma says she has never before disclosed all the information about the sexual abuse that was committed by a doctor.
She describes going through a tough period when her parents divorced. Emma was close to her dad, but she and her mother moved to a new house and she was sent to a different primary school where one of the teachers would ridicule her. One day she had had enough and says she ‘went for’ this teacher.
read full account of Penelopes experienceA music teacher made Penelope feel special with one-to-one lessons but then sexually abused her
Penelope was 16 when she began studying A level music. The teacher, Guy, convinced her she should have extra lessons alone with him.
She later realised that singling her out for individual attention was a ploy to give him the opportunity to abuse her.
read full account of Jasmines experienceJasmine believes her parents’ lifestyle made her vulnerable to abuse
Jasmine relates that she grew up in a household where she was exposed to things she should not have experienced at such a young age.
From the time she was a toddler her mother and father had an ‘open marriage’. She describes the effect this had on her idea of how sex should be in a loving relationship and how vulnerable it made her to sexual abuse. This occurred in her home and neighbourhood. She believes the perpetrators could ‘sniff out’ her vulnerability.
read full account of Mireles experienceMirele says ‘I’ve had a rocky road all through my life … but now I feel I want to help others’
Mirele has survived the ordeal of being sexually abused and the long-lasting impacts it had on her mental health.
She now hopes to become a counsellor and support other people who have had similar experiences.
read full account of Muriels experienceMuriel says ‘An institution left to police itself is a huge risk’
As an adult, Muriel transitioned from male to female.
She gives a moving and thoughtful account of her experiences of sexual abuse at boarding school, and the conflict she went through about her gender identity.
read full account of Hiras experienceSpeaking about sexual abuse, Hira says ‘There was the shame of it getting out ... you would be tainted’
Hira grew up in a large family in what she describes as a middle-class area. Her parents had migrated to Britain from south Asia, and their cultural and religious heritage was pivotal to their lives.
Fear of causing distress to her family and the community, and of being stigmatised prevented Hira from speaking out when she was sexually abused by a relative, and later by a religious teacher.
read full account of Lewiss experienceLewis’s parents trusted the man who sexually abused their son
On the face of it, the man who sexually abused Lewis was a trustworthy person.
He was a teacher and a leader in a group connected with the church that Lewis and his parents attended.
read full account of Chloes experienceChloe, sexually abused by a family friend and curate at the church, struggled with the legal process
Publicity about child sex abuse cases prompted Chloe to report incidents that occurred when she was a young teenager. This resulted in a successful prosecution, but the abuse has had a significant effect on her mental health and the court case was very difficult for her.
Chloe has a recollection of sexual abuse by a family friend that occurred when she was between the ages of five and 11 years, but she cannot remember the details.
read full account of Jessicas experienceJessica was told that ‘people like you’ do not get justice
During the 1980s, when she was aged between 12 and 16 years, Jessica was sexually and physically abused at various children’s homes.
She describes how she has fought and campaigned for justice and transparency for many years because she wants to prevent others going through the same experiences. She says she will not rest until light is finally shone on the sexual abuse perpetrated in the area where she grew up.
read full account of Myless experienceMyles says that people get hurt when organisations are not held accountable for sexual abuse
Myles was sexually abused by two members of the Salvation Army.
The organisation attempted to cover up the abuse by both perpetrators.
read full account of Donnas experienceHer mum’s happiness when her abusive father was allowed home stopped Donna disclosing what he had done
Donna says she was sexually abused by her father for as far back as she can remember.
A disclosure by her older sister that he was doing to the same to her led to tragedy. Donna was labelled the ‘sensible one’ and believes this caused her trauma to be largely overlooked.
read full account of Anne-Marias experienceAnne-Maria says ‘My innocence was taken … I told myself I would be a better person than these people’
Anne-Maria grew up in the West Indies. One Christmas, when she was about five years old, she went overseas with her family to visit her father.
She describes him as ‘a tall, handsome, upstanding wealthy man’. She remembers he called her his ‘princess’ and that she was proud to be his daughter.