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 Mollys experienceMolly believes her stepfather got together with her mother because she had children he could abuse
Molly was abused by her stepfather for more than 10 years.
He controlled her with threats and manipulation, but eventually she reported the abuse and he was jailed for the torment he had inflicted on her and her brother.
read full account of Bledigs experienceBledig says ‘Even now .... I often get that “fight or flight” feeling’
Bledig was sexually abused by a Catholic priest when he was a young altar boy.
He says that during his childhood and adolescence, he buried it, but decades later he gives a vivid and detailed account of the impact the abuse has had on him throughout his life.
read full account of Gazs experienceGaz says being sexually abused by a sports coach ‘put me in emotional turmoil which is still with me’
Gaz was a talented diver, and he began training and competing when he was about eight or nine years old.
He joined a new club, and within a year the coach began sexually abusing him.
read full account of Lauras experienceLaura says ‘It is humanising to go through therapy and see others who have been through so much’
When Laura reached puberty, her stepfather began preying on her and sexually abusing her.
The police saw images of her on his computer, but she was too scared to say what he had done, and he was allowed back home.
read full account of Andrews experienceMale victims of child sexual abuse are faced with ignorance and prejudice, Andrew says
From a young age, Andrew endured neglect in his family home, along with violence and sexual abuse from his father.
Staff in the care system, the police and teachers were aware that he was troubled and vulnerable, but he was not protected.
read full account of Iains experienceAdult education and training helped Iain overcome the damage caused by child sexual abuse
Iain was sexually abused by two men who came into contact with his family.
One was a youth leader who formed a relationship with his mother to increase his access to Iain.
read full account of Pierres experiencePierre says of the priest who abused him ‘We had no idea how to deny him, he had done so much for us’
Pierre’s parents were devoted Catholics who struggled financially.
A priest took advantage of their circumstances to sexually abuse two of their sons.
read full account of Christophers experienceChristopher believes he was ‘fobbed off’ by many services he approached for support
As a gay teenager from a relatively privileged background, Christopher was sexually abused and exploited.
He describes how many professionals did not empathise with his difficulties because of the stigma attached to sex work.
read full account of Jadens experienceDespite his horrendous childhood, Jaden has worked in his community to support troubled youngsters
Following the death of his father, Jaden was left at the mercy of a succession of brutal abusers in the care system.
It is painful for him to relate the harrowing experiences he endured as a child, and the effect they had on him.
read full account of Pendas experiencePenda’s cousin was allowed to visit her after he was convicted of sexually abusing her
After Penda’s father died, her family received a lot of support from her aunt, who had three children.
But one of these cousins sexually abused Penda.
read full account of Ruthies experienceRuthie describes sexual abuse that happened in recent years, and how social services disregarded her report
When Ruthie reported that a male relative had sexually abused her, her family and social services were callous and dismissive.
She says ‘I sometimes wonder where I would be if they had believed me, if they had actually gone and investigated’.
read full account of Habibas experienceHabiba says ‘Everything must be done to empower victims from minority groups’
Habiba was sexually abused by her father.
She believes that the poor institutional response to her report was partly due to cultural bias.