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 Maxs experienceMax has worried he is being ‘over-dramatic’ about the impact of being sexually abused
Max grew up in the years after the Second World War ended. He says that his parents were not neglectful, but ‘not that interested’. He adds that his ‘old-fashioned’ grammar school considered that ‘children should be seen and not heard’.
He has questioned why he did not tell anyone that he was being sexually abused by his uncle, but says he now realises that nobody recognised sexual abuse at that time.
read full account of Davids experienceDavid says ‘Though I hide it well most of the time, I died a little in my childhood’
David was sexually abused for several years while he was in care.
One of the lasting effects of this is that some situations remind him of the abuse and can trigger an extreme reaction in him.
read full account of Fredas experienceFreda has always made sure her children have the happy experiences she missed out on as a child
Freda recounts the eight years she spent in a children’s home, where she suffered cruelty and emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
She says ‘There was no love … no arm around you. My children will never feel what I felt, ever’.
read full account of Trudas experienceTruda’s mum once said to her ‘Everything is your fault. You bring it all on yourself’
Truda suffered abuse and neglect from her mother and from a succession of her mother’s partners.
Her mother did not protect her, but always blamed her daughter when her relationships ended.
read full account of Rhyss experienceRhys says it is vital to make children aware of the risk of online sexual harm
Rhys grew up in a very conservative household, where people didn’t talk about ‘non-traditional’ things.
Uncertain about his sexual orientation, he was drawn to online chat rooms where he was groomed and lured into meeting an older man who had posed as a child.
read full account of Vinnies experienceVinnie says he shared his experience because ‘I feel I shouldn’t be an unseen statistic’
Vinnie’s Catholic family were befriended by a priest who went on to sexually abuse Vinnie.
He did not speak to anyone about being abused until many years later.
read full account of Martinas experienceMartina would like to see conversations about child sexual abuse that are not just focused on celebrities
Martina had an extremely difficult childhood. She was sexually abused by two men, but no one in authority picked up any sign of this.
Martina explains that she was born of an affair her mother had during her marriage. The only thing she knew about her father was that he was black, and as the only non-white child in her rural community she was bullied and abused.
read full account of Cheryls experienceIf Cheryl wanted permission to go out, she had to let her stepfather sexually abuse her
Years after Cheryl was sexually abused by her stepfather, the police launched an investigation when another victim came forward.
A poorly judged remark by a police officer made Cheryl fear that she would be thought of as a potential abuser, and her children would be taken away.
read full account of Jays experienceJay was a small child when he was sexually abused, but he feels guilty he didn’t do more to stop it
It is more than 60 years since Jay was sexually abused by a school teacher.
He has only recently told his wife about it, and decided to share his experience because he feels increasingly worried about sexual abuse happening to other children.
read full account of Katrinas experienceInstead of being seen as a victim of abuse, Katrina was blamed for being ‘badly behaved’
Katrina spent her early years ‘terrified’ of her mother, who was physically and emotionally abusive.
When she was an adolescent, her mother sexually exploited her.
read full account of Arabelles experienceArabelle says there should be honest conversations about how sexual abuse can affect children
When Arabelle was sexually abused as a small child, medical staff advised her parents not to talk about it because she would not remember it.
She feels that this lack of openness added to her feelings of confusion and shame.
read full account of Beatrices experienceA dance instructor held in high regard by Beatrice’s parents sexually abused their daughter
Beatrice and her family took part in dance lessons in their local community.
The instructor sexually abused Beatrice but her mother refused to take any action. Beatrice believes this was because she did not want to disrupt the family’s social activities.