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 Camerons experienceCameron found reporting the sexual abuse he experienced empowering and it has helped him regain control
Grooming and sexual abuse, followed by rejection, has made it difficult for Cameron to trust people.
However, he has been able to have helpful conversations with his parents about the abuse, and he is hopeful there will be a successful prosecution of his abuser.
read full account of Wyatts experienceWyatt says a young lad might feel ‘lucky’ to have a sexual experience, but in reality it is damaging
Wyatt was sexually abused by the matron of his children’s home.
He didn’t understand it was abuse at the time, and it has significantly affected his life.
read full account of Saskias experienceSaskia often feels that she will not be believed because of the reaction to her report of sexual abuse
Saskia was sexually abused at a family party when she was 11 years old.
She reported the abuse at the time and again 10 years later, but feels let down by the response.
read full account of Sofias experienceAfter a court case she describes as ‘brutal’, the man who sexually abused Sofia was found not guilty
Sofia was groomed and sexually abused by a member of cadet staff.
He was acquitted after his criminal trial.
read full account of Jeromes experienceJerome says ‘I think boarding schools can be an environment where it’s easy to overstep the mark’
Jerome was groomed at boarding school by a teacher.
The teacher went on to sexually abuse him, but there was no policy or procedure he knew of that would have enabled him to report this.
read full account of Amies experienceAmie gives a heart-rending account of a life destroyed by a brutal abuser
Amie endured extreme sexual, physical and emotional abuse by a male member of staff in a children’s home.
She shares her experience of child sexual abuse with the Truth Project from a prison cell.
read full account of Zeldas experienceZelda feels strongly that religious beliefs must not overrule child protection
Zelda was raised in a devoutly religious family. She was sexually abused in faith instruction classes.
She reported this to her mother, but was told to ‘put up with it’.
read full account of Walters experienceWalter wants the man who sexually abused him to understand the consequences of what he did
Walter has a developmental disability and a learning difficulty.
A member of staff at his secondary school took advantage of his differences and sexually abused him.
read full account of Paul-Davids experiencePaul-David asks ‘How are we going to help children who can’t verbalise they are being abused?’
Paul-David still bears physical and mental scars from the abuse and extreme cruelty he was subjected to by people who were supposed to care for him.
As a small child, he couldn’t explain in words what was happening to him, but he says ‘If just one adult had taken notice of me maybe my suffering would have been shorter lived’.
read full account of Autumns experienceAutumn feels she was left to deal by herself with the effects of being sexually abused
Autumn was a talented sports competitor.
She was sexually abused by her coach and was left with virtually no support to deal with the impact of the abuse and the aftermath of the court case.
read full account of Patricks experienceIt is a source of great sadness to Patrick that being abused has damaged his relationships
From a young age, Patrick attended a residential school. He tells how he was abused by Angus, an older pupil.
Angus would come into Patrick’s dormitory bed at night. In his innocence, the younger boy initially thought perhaps they had to sleep together because there were not enough beds at the school for every pupil to have their own.
read full account of Felicitys experienceFelicity says ‘Just because something is “historic” doesn’t mean it’s not important’
As a small child, Felicity was taken into temporary foster care.
No one explained where she was going and for how long. To add to the trauma, she was sexually abused while she was with a foster family.