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 Ambers experienceAmber describes herself as ‘a child that wasn’t wanted’
Amber was born in the Caribbean in the late 1950s and came to join her mother in the UK when she was six years old.
Her mother subjected her to relentless cruelty and did nothing to protect her from being sexually abused by the man she thought was her father.
read full account of Bryns experienceAfter he was abused, Bryn led a troubled life, but says counselling changed everything for him
Although his parents split up, Bryn describes his childhood as happy. But sexual abuse by a cadet leader altered the course of his life.
Bryn was the youngest of three children. His mother was in her early 20s when his father left the family. Bryn missed him, but soon after, his mother got a new partner, and Bryn says he could not have asked for a better stepfather. He was also close to his grandfather.
read full account of Jontys experienceJonty was ‘hounded out’ of his school to stop him reporting that a teacher had abused him
Jonty attended a private school in the 1970s.
He was raped by a teacher on a school trip, and bullied into silence when he tried to report it.
read full account of Mileys experienceMiley says she was happy in care because she had clothes and was allowed to play
Miley was fostered when she was a small child as both her parents had been in prison, but she was returned to them.
She was physically and emotionally abused by her mother every day and sexually abused by her father from the age of nine.
read full account of Ians experienceIan was abused and threatened by a teacher in a church school, but felt the ‘sin’ was his
Several decades ago, Ian attended a Catholic grammar school and for the first few years, he enjoyed it. Then a new teacher arrived, whose abusive behaviour had a ruinous effect on Ian’s life.
The young teacher, Jim, quickly singled Ian out and offered him extra tuition at home. He persuaded Ian’s mother that because the family home was noisy, it would be better to work in Ian’s bedroom.
read full account of Hollys experienceThe man who abused Holly controlled her by befriending her parents
Holly grew up in a farming community. She was sexually abused by a man who was friendly with her parents.
She feels more should be done to raise awareness of sexual abuse in rural areas.
read full account of Annies experienceWhen Annie was five years old, she thought the abuse was ‘just part of life’
Annie was sexually abused over five years by her mother’s partner, Steve.
She told staff at school and was accused of attention seeking, and her mother was angry that her relationship was affected.
read full account of Ralphs experienceRalph experiences flashbacks but does not want to remember exact details of his abuse
Ralph was a small child when his parents enrolled him in an independent school run by a Catholic religious order.
He has very few memories from the time when he was at the school, but a few years ago he began to experience flashbacks. When all the media coverage of the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal appeared, he decided to write to the school. His letter was passed to the religious order’s headquarters, and shortly after he received an ‘apology’.
read full account of Carwyns experienceThe man who sexually abused Carwyn was wealthy but did jobs to give him contact with children
When Carwyn and his family were at a holiday camp, they were befriended by a man who was working there as a chef.
He turned out to be a very wealthy man who owned a huge house full of expensive gadgets and toys. He used these attractions to lure in young children for sexual abuse.
read full account of Hilarys experienceHilary felt completely powerless and unable to complain about being abused in the care system
Hilary was neglected by her mother, and all her early childhood memories are of being in care.
She received no support, and was drawn to two men in positions of authority who sexually abused her.
read full account of Dinas experienceDina’s father sexually abused her then used emotional blackmail to make her withdraw her complaint
When Dina’s father was due to appear in court charged with sexually abusing her, he was allowed to sit in the waiting room with her.
When she withdrew her allegation against him, she was vilified by the police, social services and her family.
read full account of Eamons experienceEamon could not cope with women saying they loved him. This was something his abuser often told him
Eamon was adopted as a baby and describes having an ‘idyllic childhood’. He grew up on a farm close to the seaside and remembers always being outside enjoying activities like riding and collecting eggs.
But an undiagnosed problem with his eyesight caused him to fall behind with his school work and fail his 11+ examination. This changed the happy course of his life.