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 Keyleighs experienceFor Keyleigh, the care system was a place of safety, away from her sexually abusive father
Keyleigh says that the best times in her childhood were when she was taken into care.
She wishes that people in authority had asked her whether she wanted to go home to her parents, instead of assuming it was the best thing for her.
read full account of Ethans experienceEthan was failed because society didn’t talk about sexual abuse at the time
Ethan says he had a positive childhood with wonderful supportive parents and lots of opportunities. But this was marred by sexual abuse perpetrated by an adult from a youth organisation.
Ethan’s parents believed him when he told them, and took action, but stopped short of involving the police. He worries that his abuser may have continued his crimes.
read full account of Woodys experienceWoody has moved on from his past and is proud of what he has achieved
Woody says that his parents were from ‘good backgrounds’ but after they separated his dad moved far away and his mum started abusing drugs.
His mother lived a chaotic life which left him vulnerable to sexual abusers.
read full account of Jayes experienceJaye says the Catholic church is more concerned to protect the institution rather than individuals
Jaye was sexually abused by a priest who groomed him and his family.
He still has religious faith, but left the Catholic church because of his disillusionment with its response to child sexual abuse cases.
read full account of Elishas experienceElisha says she didn’t finish her schooling and became promiscuous after she was abused
Elisha grew up in an urban community where children played out together. She was sexually abused by some teenage boys.
Elisha describes her upbringing in the 1980s in a large city, where parents in the surrounding streets let their children play outside and go to the park together.
read full account of Harrisons experienceHarrison was isolated in a school with an atmosphere of fear, humiliation and cruelty
Harrison was identified as ‘educationally subnormal’ and when he was 12 years old, was forced to attend a residential school far from home.
One of the few people who offered him any solace in the brutally harsh regime was a female staff member, but she betrayed his trust and sexually abused him.
read full account of Greysons experienceGreyson says ‘I told them what was happening but it was my 13-year-old word against a Catholic monk’
Greyson writes a moving account of sexual abuse that he suffered in his childhood and how his troubled early years have affected him.
He is currently serving a prison sentence.
read full account of Denniss experienceDennis’s care records contained ‘half-truths and lies’ and he calls for improved reporting systems
The sexual abuse inflicted on Dennis occurred some years ago, and he says that the records of his time in care are contradictory and inaccurate.
His recollection is that at a very young age he was deserted by his mother and was then placed in several children’s homes, an assessment centre, with a foster family and, for a brief period, in the care of a relative.
read full account of Andis experienceAndi was labelled ‘highly strung’ when she told a teacher about her abusive stepfather
Andi says she was outspoken and she tried to defy her abusive stepfather.
When she reported him, he convinced people that she was badly behaved.
read full account of Ffions experienceFfion says that when she was in care ‘It was scary and violent and nowhere was safe’
Ffion feels angry and let down that professionals did not help her when she was being sexually abused.
She says ‘I should have been treated as a child, with respect and dignity, and loved. Someone should have said “this isn’t right”, instead of blaming me and normalising it’.
read full account of Dilans experienceDilan says he felt ‘stuck’ as a child and wishes he could go back and bypass that stage
A sports coach took advantage of Dilan’s dreams of being a football star and sexually abused him.
Dilan still lives with the effects of this trauma he experienced as a child.
read full account of Dermots experienceAs a child migrant, Dermot was sent across the world to a place where ‘nowhere was safe’
Dermot was shipped overseas with two of his brothers as child migrants in the early 1950s. He was six years old when he was sent to a completely alien environment, thousands of miles from home. They had been sent overseas after a complaint about the noise and boisterousness of the children at home and they were then assessed by an organisation responsible for child migration.
He tells a harrowing story of cruelty and abuse. He has used the anger he feels about his experiences to address the issue of redress for child migrants.