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 Rachs experienceRach says ‘Survival was the main aim in our house … don’t bring attention to yourself’
Rach grew up in circumstances of almost unimaginable neglect, depravity and abuse.
Despite this, she was returned several times from care to the family home, even after she became pregnant by her father at the age of 12.
read full account of Michelles experienceMichelle says she craved affection from her abuser that had always been missing from her life
Michelle was born in the 1970s. Her parents were unable to care for her and her siblings and from the age of two to 18 years, she moved several times between foster placements and children’s homes.
She suffered from physical abuse and a lack of love and affection that made her vulnerable to sexual abuse.
read full account of Almas experienceAlma says that in her family ‘My job was to keep the others free from hurt, physically and sexually’
Alma gives an account of deprivation, cruelty and abuse that caused her physical injury as well as mental anguish.
She came through the ordeal of her childhood and now focuses on caring for her children and grandchildren. She says ‘I just learned to keep going’.
read full account of Aidans experienceAidan asks ‘Why is it so hard for survivors to receive the support they need?’
Aidan was sexually abused by his primary school teacher, who also groomed Aidan’s mother.
Fifty years on, he is shocked by the extent of the impact of the abuse on him.
read full account of Leons experienceLeon feels that being sexually abused led to him becoming involved with drugs and crime
Leon’s mother had a mental health problem and when he was first taken into care he was relieved to get away from her unpredictable behaviour.
But he was sexually abused in his foster home and this had lasting consequences on his life.
read full account of Anguss experienceAngus felt safer in a police cell than at home
Given up by his family at a young age, Angus was left at the mercy of abusive carers. His childhood was so troubled as a result that he describes how being in a police cell felt safer than being at home.
Angus says that when his mother asked for him to be placed for adoption, his father, who was in the forces, agreed this was in his best interests. He comments: ‘It wrecked my life, being rejected by my own family.’
read full account of Carlies experienceCarlie says ‘I don’t feel guilty any more; I was the child, he was the adult’
Carlie and her friend were sexually abused by a neighbour, who was seen as a pillar of the community.
For a long time, she blamed herself for not reporting it, and says ‘I’m still angry he got away with it’.
read full account of Marcs experienceMarc was abused in the Scouts. He says ‘no one told their parents – you thought you were being grown up’
Marc was groomed and sexually abused when he was a teenager by a Scout leader.
He can now see how manipulative and cunning the abuser was in the way he targeted certain boys for abuse.
read full account of Charmaines experienceCharmaine is grateful her children have a ‘wonderful father’ and won’t go through what she did
Because of her father’s career, Charmaine and her family moved house every year.
She thinks this transient lifestyle led to her and her brothers being isolated and made abuse by her father easy to hide.
read full account of Winnies experienceWinnie wants to help engage ethnic minority community members with the Truth Project
Winnie grew up in a large and chaotic family. Her parents had a volatile relationship, and her mother was an alcoholic. She was sexually abused by an older boy, and a pastor who ran a gospel choir.
She believes that within ethnic minority communities, a culture of not engaging with authorities can prevent sexual abuse being reported. Winnie says she was exposed to adult sexual activity from an early age. Her father watched pornography with his friends, and she witnessed adults having sex.
read full account of Bernardos experienceBernardo feels more people would come forward to talk about abuse if they knew they would get help
Bernardo had a troubled home life and was sent to a ‘horrifying’ children’s home where another boy sexually abused him.
Later in life, a manager on a work experience scheme gave him the encouragement that he believes saved him ‘from the scrapheap’.
read full account of Surannes experienceSuranne thinks that education about sexual abuse is the key so ‘kids are more likely to speak up’
Suranne often stayed with her grandmother. A man who lived nearby sexually abused her over many years.
When she told her GP, it was noted down as a ‘sex problem’.