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 Brodies experienceThe man who sexually abused Brodie made her feel his behaviour was her responsibility
Brodie had an unsettled childhood; the family moved a lot and both her parents were frequently absent and uninvolved with their children.
Brodie feels this made her insecure as a young girl, and vulnerable to grooming and abuse by a predatory man.
read full account of Dehennas experienceDehenna says there should be easier ways for children to report abuse with creative use of technology
Although she had a social worker, Dehenna was not rescued from the relatives who abused her.
She says she used to long for an adult to step in and rescue her.
read full account of Bernies experienceBernie says ‘I mourn the loss of the little girl I was’
Bernie was sexually abused by a vicar in her community.
At the age of 12, she says, she ‘went from playing with dolls to off the rails overnight’.
read full account of Erikas experienceErika says ‘I do not believe I will ever recover from this loss’
Erika’s father was killed in the Second World War when she was a small child, and her mother then had a relationship with a serviceman from overseas.
Erika’s stepfather sexually abused her over 10 years. This abuse, her mother’s coldness towards her and her treatment by professionals has caused Erika a lifetime of mental anguish.
read full account of Hermiones experienceHermione felt responsible for being sexually abused by a man twice her age
Hermione says that when she was a young teenager, she was ‘socially awkward’ and did not have many friends.
A male shopkeeper flattered her with compliments and attention and sexually abused her.
read full account of Alyxs experienceSocial services were concerned about Alyx’s foster care, but never asked her if she was ok
Alyx says ‘I had a rotten childhood’. Placed in care at the age of three, she suffered years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse in her foster home.
Alyx was born in the 1960s and put into foster care when she was very young. She and her sibling lived with foster carers called Phil and Margaret until she was in her mid teens. Margaret was physically and emotionally abusive, and Alyx now knows that at one stage social services intervened to ask her to be more understanding and less strict with the girls. However, they did not ask Alyx how she was and she doesn't remember many visits being made to check on her.
read full account of Nualas experienceNuala says ‘I had to get through it on my own. And I did. And I feel proud for that’
Nuala says she received no help or support from people who should have looked after her after she was sexually abused.
She feels proud that she has survived her traumatic childhood experiences.
read full account of Diannes experienceDianne describes the impact of child sexual abuse – ‘It undermines who you are ... your security’
Dianne believes that being sexually abused by her brother made her vulnerable to further abuse by a teacher.
‘Had I not felt this was normal in the household I wouldn’t have made it so easy for the teacher to get away with it’ she says.
read full account of Lisas experienceLisa has made persistent efforts to bring the teacher who sexually abused her to justice
The man who abused Lisa did not work in the school she attended but ‘infiltrated himself’ into her family. She says he was a popular and clever man who everyone liked and respected. He organised a lot of day trips and activities at school and also for Lisa.
The sexual abuse started when she was a young teenager and continued until she was in her late teens. Lisa feels that this a very confusing time for her as the abuse was wrapped up in the adventure of the day trips and activities and she did enjoy the attention she received from her abuser. Lisa says she even thought for a brief time that she was his girlfriend.
read full account of Hayleys experienceHayley was abused multiple times in care and felt abused all over again by the justice system
Hayley says her parents ‘did not want me’ and her father was physically abusive. She and her sisters spent their childhoods in and out of care, where she suffered more mistreatment. She thinks now that she would have been safer if she had stayed at home with her father.
She remembers that, as a young child, she was sexually abused in one children’s home by a male member of staff, David. Every week for a about year he took her to a different part of the home to ’do things’. Sometimes he was joined by another man.
read full account of Meghans experience‘It’s completely wrong to say if someone doesn’t leave or fight back, it’s not rape’ says Meghan
As a teenager, Meghan became involved with a drug dealer, Lewis, who raped her then threatened her for several months.
She reported him to the police, but they said that because she didn’t resist the rape, Lewis had not committed a crime.
read full account of Jacksons experienceJackson says that it is too often said ‘We always thought there was something dodgy about him’
When the clergyman who sexually abused Jackson was prosecuted, it emerged that he had sexually abused many other boys.
Jackson says the church must take responsibility and hold abusers to account.