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 Florences experienceFlorence’s father was convicted of child sexual abuse, but no one asked if he had abused her
Florence’s father sexually abused her when she was a very young child.
He was imprisoned for abusing her step-siblings but then allowed to return home, where he continued abusing Florence for several more years.
read full account of Claudias experienceClaudia and her siblings were subjected to extreme violence, sexual abuse and control by their father
After the violence, control and sexual abuse was reported, several adults said they were ‘not surprised’.
Claudia grew up in a very large family. She says that her father kept his children isolated from friends and family, telling them that ‘the only safe place is home’.
read full account of Kiaras experienceKiara had no way of escaping the abuse by gang members on her estate
Kiara gives a horrifying account of repeated brutal sexual abuse by gang members in her home area.
They exerted considerable control over the neighbourhood, but her deprived home life meant that she had no chance of moving away.
read full account of Katelyns experienceKatelyn says ‘A lot of women are in prison because they weren’t protected as children’
Katelyn’s troubles began when her mum married a man called Kaine, who was from a Traveller family. Katelyn says her stepfather ‘was a bad man’.
He sexually abused her when she was about 11, and possibly before that. Katelyn remembers her mum asking her and her sibling ‘if anything had happened’. But later, when she did disclose the abuse, her mother threw her out of the house.
read full account of Lous experienceLou says it was very helpful that his old school apologised for the sexual abuse he suffered there
Lou says that sometimes he minimises the abuse he experienced as a child.
But recently he has started remembering more about it and realises how ‘messed up’ he was.
read full account of Luciles experienceLucile says ‘I just keep going, always. But the damage to my life has been profound’
During her first two years at secondary school, Lucile was subjected to repeated sexual abuse by large groups of her peers.
She was blamed and shamed by staff and pupils for being abused.
read full account of Ericks experienceErick says ‘One unexpected consequence of being abused is that the truth becomes a problem’
It took Erick many years to face the fact that he had been sexually abused.
He feels it has left him with a ‘dark side’ that he finds it difficult to speak about.
read full account of Solanges experienceSolange came to the Truth Project to report something that others might not feel is significant
The experience of being ‘groped’ by an adult man when she was 12 years old has stayed with Solange.
Since her daughter reached the same age, she has felt increasingly troubled and angry about it.
read full account of Caryss experienceCarys says ‘I felt I must have done something to make it happen and it must have been my fault’
For three years, Carys was regularly sexually abused in her own home by a music teacher.
She describes the difficult and confusing impacts of the abuse, and the shame she has felt as a victim and survivor.
read full account of Lozs experienceLoz wonders if she should have ‘stood up’ to the adults who sexually abused her when she was a child
Loz was subjected to sexual abuse by a number of different men during her childhood and teenage years.
Despite this, she says ‘Lots of people have had far worse than me’.
read full account of Andreas experienceAndrea calls for cultural mediators to work with ethnic minority families
Andrea was born overseas and brought up in a large family. She says she was spoiled with presents and wanted for nothing.
When she was five years old, her parents moved to the UK, leaving her and her siblings in the care of a grandparent. She was so upset at being separated from her parents that after a time she was sent to join them in the UK.
read full account of Nells experienceNell finds it difficult to discuss sexual abuse, but says ‘We all need to talk about it’
A neighbour in his 40s started sexually abusing Nell when she was about eight years old.
When Nell tried to talk about what was happening, her mother said she was copying a storyline from a television soap opera.