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 Greshams experienceWhen Gresham told the police he had been abused, they asked if he was just trying to get compensation
Gresham was sexually abused by his mother, and a man who gave him a job when he was a young boy.
The police would not take his report about his mother seriously and he did not feel supported in the court process when the other perpetrator was put on trial.
read full account of Maes experienceMae says she has only recently accepted that the abuse was not her fault
Mae was sexually abused by a minicab driver.
When she was 12, a police medical examination showed she was sexually active, but no action was taken.
read full account of Clives experienceClive’s life was badly affected after being sexually abused by a stranger in the public toilets
Sexually abused by a stranger when he was a small boy, Clive has struggled with the psychological and emotional effects ever since.
Clive really wants people to understand that for those who have been sexually abused: ‘It doesn’t need to be stigmatised as some sort of disability, but it does need to be recognised that this will have a lifelong impact.’
read full account of Rosalees experienceRosalee still finds it hard to talk about being abused for fear of being judged
Rosalee was sexually abused by a family friend.
The abuse occurred several times when she was a small child, but she was too embarrassed to tell anyone.
read full account of Olevs experienceOlev says ‘the Church should always put victims and survivors before its reputation’
Olev’s religious parents saw no reason for a vicar not to take their young son away with him.
Olev grew up in a church-going household ‘that ran by rules and routine … there was no intimacy’.
read full account of Kellys experienceKelly says ‘Being abused is crushing, but this aftermath even more so’
Kelly was sexually abused by a member of her family and by a neighbour.
When she spoke out about the abuse, she was blamed for making trouble and upsetting her mother.
read full account of Olgas experienceOlga says the priest who abused her knew all about ‘our family, our poverty, our bereavement’
Olga was sexually abused by her father, and by a senior Catholic priest.
Her family lived in difficult circumstances and she says the priest was aware of this and took advantage of it to abuse her.
read full account of Elaines experienceElaine says ‘I feel broken … like everyone else is functioning well and I’m not’
Throughout her chaotic early life, Elaine suffered neglect and sexual abuse from family members and others outside her home.
When she tried to speak out, she was not believed, but labelled ‘bad’ and often returned to the places where she was being abused.
read full account of Crystals experienceCrystal felt dismissed by the church safeguarding board when she reported sexual abuse by a vicar
Having been sexually abused as a child by a Church of England clergyman, Crystal reported the abuse to church officials.
Her experience has made her doubt that they have learned anything from past mistakes.
read full account of Bethans experienceBethan feels that on the outside she is calm but she says ‘there’s a hidden scream inside me’
Bethan was not encouraged to have counselling after she was violently sexually assaulted as a child.
She feels that not dealing with the trauma has had a huge knock-on effect on her.
read full account of Donalds experienceDonald put on weight to try to protect himself from sexual abuse
Donald relates a catalogue of abuse that began in the family home and continued within a care system where all too often abusers gave him ‘their kind of care’.
He says he feels worthless and violated because of the abuse he suffered and wonders how his life would have been different if it had not happened.
read full account of Aniyahs experienceAniyah was physically, psychologically and sexually abused for many years, yet she feels guilt and shame
Aniyah was raped when she was seven years old. The perpetrator continued abusing her for the next 20 years.
She says she was always terrified of him, and she still is.