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 Rhondas experienceRhonda’s music teacher brazenly denied that he was abusing her, and was allowed to go on teaching
Rhonda went to the local comprehensive school in a relatively affluent, middle-class area. Shortly after she began attending one-to-one lessons with a peripatetic music teacher, he began sexually abusing her.
She managed to report the abuse after two years. Although she was believed, the music teacher forcefully defended himself, and was allowed to continue teaching at the school, and abusing more girls.
read full account of Charless experienceCharles says when he had therapy ‘For the first time I felt I wasn’t responsible for the abuse’
Charles feels that even though he has had a good life with many happy experiences, he is still very preoccupied with the sexual abuse he endured more than 50 years ago.
‘It seems to be the most significant thing that happened to me and I don’t understand why’ he says.
read full account of Keishas experienceKeisha feels that she was judged and blamed by villagers for being sexually abused
Keisha was brought up in what seemed to be ‘an idyllic country village’.
When several older men sexually abused her, many people in the close-knit community were aware of it, but no one stepped in to protect her.
read full account of Brielles experienceBrielle says that child sexual abuse is often perpetrated by someone a child knows and trusts
As a child, Brielle felt unloved by her parents. She believes this made her vulnerable to sexual abuse, which she mistook for the affection she craved.
Brielle explains that her parents were completely ‘emotionally absent’ from her life. They never gave her a goodnight kiss, or held her hand, and certainly never spoke of loving her.
read full account of Conalls experienceConall says ‘there are hundreds, if not thousands, of broken souls out there’
Conall and his brother Craig were both sexually abused at their preparatory school.
Craig recently died under tragic circumstances and Conall is determined to continue pushing for an investigation into the abuse.
read full account of Jasmins experienceAs a victim and survivor of abuse, Jasmin campaigns for improved child protection
Jasmin had to battle to obtain complete records of her childhood from social services.
She received an out-of-court settlement for their failure to protect her from sexual and physical abuse.
read full account of Corwins experienceCorwin has not let his experiences hold him back, but struggles with the impact of sexual abuse
Corwin grew up in the 1950s in a large family.
His father, who had been in active service overseas during the Second World War, was brutal towards his wife and family, and sexually abused some of his children.
read full account of Imogens experienceImogen says that as a child at home ‘there was never anywhere I could go where I felt safe’
Imogen’s older brothers began sexually abusing her in the family home when she was a very young child.
It was only when she was caught shoplifting in her early teens that she disclosed what was happening to her.
read full account of Natalias experienceNatalia says that being sexually abused ‘will affect me until I take my last breath’
Natalia’s grandfather sexually abused her and other members of his family.
When he was confronted, he admitted the abuse, saying ‘Yeah, but it ain’t done them no harm’.
read full account of Marthas experienceMartha says ‘I didn’t know what a dad was supposed to be like’
Martha and her sister were abused by their birth parents and were put in care.
Her foster father groomed and sexually abused her. She says because of her early experiences with her birth parents, she didn’t know that what he was doing was wrong.
read full account of Colins experienceColin says ‘You always carry that stigma’ but has spoken out now after many years
Neglected by his mother and sexually abused throughout his childhood by adults who were supposed to care for him, Colin is striving to come to terms with his experiences.
Colin says that part of this process, with help from his wife and a support worker, is talking about feelings he suppressed for many years, and speaking out to the Inquiry.
read full account of Aimis experienceAimi says ‘I was a beautiful child, but I choose now to be 18 stone as it makes me unattractive to men’
Being sexually abused by several perpetrators has left Aimi with an enduring distrust of men, along with many other distressing after effects.
She feels strongly that all victims and survivors ‘need to be listened to, even if it’s after 20 years’.