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 Serennahs experienceSerennah says ‘I kept trying to tell them what was happening and nobody would listen’
Serennah only has painful memories of her childhood.
She grew up in an emotionally, physically and sexually abusive household but was called a liar every time she asked for help.
read full account of Trevors experienceTrevor was raped by a vicar in a church, abused in a custodial institution and failed by the police
Trevor says he blocked out most of his childhood recollections to help him cope with the pain caused by the sexual abuse he suffered.
Now his early memories are returning, and he says he realises he had a ‘lovely childhood’ before the abuse changed his life.
read full account of Carls experienceCarl was psychologically and sexually abused by a principal who claimed to be analysing him
Carl was sent to a boarding school following a conviction. He describes how he took part in ‘therapy sessions’ run by the principal of the school, Mr Doyle, who made sexual interpretations of everything he said.
The claims made by Mr Doyle made life very difficult for Carl as a teenager and still affect him now – he says he finds it difficult to share the first thing that comes to his mind without ‘over-analysing’ before he speaks.
read full account of Gradens experienceGraden says that when he was a child ‘there was no control over who went where with who’
Graden was sexually abused by a clergyman who was trusted by his parents.
He did not feel able to speak about it at the time and says ‘He got away unpunished, his reputation was not tarnished’.
read full account of Danns experienceDann says there should be ‘after-care’ for victims and survivors of abuse when they come forward
Dann describes his family as dysfunctional. His dad drank heavily and was violent towards him.
He was sexually abused as a child by two adult males, who ran an ‘open house’ for several boys.
read full account of Jans experienceJan says people from her ethnic group will not risk the shame of speaking about sexual abuse
Jan describes her family background as part Gypsy, and she believes she was targeted by an abuser for this reason.
‘Gypsy girls won’t say anything about abuse because they won’t be able to get married; no Gypsy boy will want them if they have been touched’ she says.
read full account of Tonias experienceTonia wants to see a change in the way that victims and survivors of child sexual abuse are treated
Tonia’s mum was a single parent. She was targeted by a child abuser who began dating her to gain access to her young daughters.
It later emerged that he had a previous conviction for sexual offences.
read full account of Ollies experience‘It’s hard to remember feelings. Actions I can remember’ says Ollie
When Ollie was 10 years old, he was sexually abused by a teacher.
He does not think he was badly affected by the experience, but hopes that by speaking out about it he may contribute to education and awareness of child sexual abuse.
read full account of Noas experienceNoa says social workers should make unscheduled visits to families, and pay attention to children
When social workers visited her family, Noa says, they believed everything her abusive stepdad said and did not seem interested in her.
She often asks herself ‘Was I not important enough? Did they not care?’
read full account of Rolands experienceRoland was one of many vulnerable boys who were targeted for sexual abuse by a Catholic priest
For many years, Roland did not want to remember details of the abuse he suffered as a child, and he blocked out a lot of his early memories.
He says he does not want to live with anger and resentment, and that motivates him to work towards recovery.
read full account of Gazalas experienceGazala says the sexual abuse she experienced became ‘the dirty laundry of the community’
Like many other young children at her school, Gazala was sent to a small mosque in a neighbourhood house for several hours a week.
There, she was sexually abused and raped over three years by a person in authority. When she officially reported the abuse three years later, she and her family were threatened and ostracised by their community.
read full account of Bennies experienceBennie says the Jehovah’s Witness church should reform the way it deals with child sexual abuse
Bennie was brought up in a Jehovah’s Witness family.
He was sexually abused by two family members but when he told the church elders, they blamed him.