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 Nealas experienceNeala describes how her treatment in court made her regret reporting the sexual abuse she suffered
During her youth, Neala belonged to the army cadets. When she was in her mid teens she was sexually abused by an adult male sergeant.
He was later prosecuted, but acquitted. Neala provides a balanced account of the legal process she experienced, highlighting the contrast in the way that defendants and victims and survivors are treated.
read full account of Tallies experienceTallie says reading her social care records was ‘like a second round of abuse’
Tallie was sexually abused by her adoptive father as a small child overseas, and then in the UK.
She has been horrified to discover details of how her case was dealt with by the authorities, and is fighting for justice.
read full account of Adams experienceAdam was trapped in a cycle of abuse by a highly manipulative groomer in a position of authority
Adam says he had a brilliant upbringing in a supportive family with two siblings and ‘great parents’
He and his brother attended the same secondary school. One of the teachers, Mr Baker, ran an activity centre nearby where groups of boys from the school were regularly taken for short breaks.
read full account of Caras experienceWhen Cara was sexually abused by a much older man, both her parents blamed her
After Cara’s parents separated, she and her sibling were left with their abusive mother.
Later she spent more time with her father, and was sexually abused by one of his relatives.
read full account of Jakeys experienceJakey says the abuse he suffered ‘has been a big part of my life that left me with a lot of scars’
After Jakey won a scholarship to a private school, he was sexually abused by a teacher.
He was made even more vulnerable because his parents were in awe of the man who abused him.
read full account of Keri s experienceKeri says ‘The worst thing was the amount of adults I spoke to who did nothing’
As a young teenager, Keri was subjected to continual sexual abuse by her father and a male neighbour.
Several adults, some in authority, knew about the abuse, but no one protected her.
read full account of Joannes experienceJoanne says ‘like pebbles thrown into a pond, the ripples keep on getting bigger’
Joanne was first sexually abused by a neighbour as a young child and by others as she grew older. Responses to her suffering by many of the adults in authority she encountered included blame (of her), unkindness, indifference and inappropriate advice.
During her childhood, Joanne was intermittently placed in care. Her mother suffered from mental illness and was an alcoholic. She had a memory of childhood sexual abuse by a neighbour when she was a young child, and now knows that a social services case report described her in the following terms: ‘Joanne was wilful and defiant, sexually precocious … indecently assaulted by a man who was later convicted.’
read full account of Caitlyns experienceCaitlyn was abused by a member of the armed services but it was not properly investigated by the army
Caitlyn’s father was in the army and her family lived in military accommodation.
She was sexually abused by another man in the military. When her mother reported the abuse, Caitlyn was subjected to a long ‘cross-examination’, on her own, by a male officer.
read full account of Shabnams experienceShabnam’s parents knew she had been sexually abused by an imam, but refused to acknowledge it
Shabnam was sexually abused as a child by a religious leader who was supposed to be tutoring her.
She is still unable to have any sort of relationship with anyone of the opposite sex.
read full account of Vickys experienceVicky ‘felt sick’ when the man who had abused her as a small child approached her years later
Vicky came from a large family with many brothers and sisters. She says her mother was a very strict woman who always made sure her children were well dressed. Vicky was very close to her father, whom she describes as ‘my world’.
Vicky says she had a ‘good childhood’. However, she adds that she hated school and had a very difficult and unhappy time there. While still a small child, she was harshly treated by a teacher and sexually abused by the school caretaker.
read full account of Torries experienceTorrie says she was a misfit at school, and this made her vulnerable to a predatory teacher
Torrie grew up in a rural area and her parents relied on a teacher to supervise her after school until they could collect her.
He betrayed their trust and sexually abused Torrie.
read full account of Danielas experienceDaniela says some church officials believe that Christians cannot be sexual abusers
Daniela’s parents were evangelical Christians who spent long days working with homeless people.
This left Daniela frequently unsupervised and vulnerable to sexual abuse by church members and hostel users.