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 Cristinas experienceCristina told adults she was being abused - ‘I wanted them to sort it out but it backfired’
Cristina tried to tell two different teachers that she was being sexually abused by her father.
And one of her relatives recently apologised to her for knowing that she was being abused, but not acting.
read full account of Graces experienceGrace felt she did what she had to do to be loved
Throughout Grace’s childhood her dad was in poor health and her mum was vulnerable. Despite that, she describes her younger self as a typical teenager.
She attended an all-girls school. When she was a young teenager, a man called Kyle drove past her school in his car and offered to take Grace for a drink.
read full account of Coles experienceCole says ‘If just one person had listened to me ...’
As a child, Cole was subjected to appalling physical cruelty by his father.
After his mother left home, Cole’s new stepmother sexually abused him, but no one would believe this was happening.
read full account of Alans experienceDespite experiencing brutal sexual abuse in care, Alan now has a successful career and loving family
Alan’s earliest memories are of living in fear at a care home. He endured brutal sexual abuse, cruel punishments, limited food, hard physical work and no kindness, love or affection.
Remarkably, in his adult life he went on to establish a successful career. He wants to relate his experiences to try and help children in the future.
read full account of Tads experienceTad says he would never send his children to boarding school
Tad was brought up in a ‘middle-class culture of secrecy and repression’.
He believes this made it easier for adults to abuse children at school, and more difficult for children to talk about what was happening.
read full account of Adelyns experienceAdelyn was publicly shamed by Jehovah’s Witness elders because an adult sexually abused her
Adelyn was brought up in the Jehovah’s Witness church.
She was sexually abused by two men in the church, but the elders pronounced that she was the ‘sinner’.
read full account of Laineys experienceLainey says the GP who sexually abused her during an examination treated her like ‘a piece of meat’
When a doctor carried out a gynaecological examination on Lainey, she felt something was not right about the way he did it.
As a teenager, she did not have the confidence to challenge him, but later understood that her instincts were correct.
read full account of Robertas experienceRoberta feels empowered by saying ‘It’s not a dirty secret on my part. I did nothing wrong’
Roberta believed that the man who had sexually abused her for seven years was her biological father.
When she discovered this was not the case, she disclosed what he had done.
read full account of Brandons experienceBrandon’s report of child sexual abuse was not investigated, and he wants his account recorded
Brandon was made vulnerable by his father leaving home and his mother being distracted with her own problems.
He was lured into a ring of child sexual abusers that he thinks included some high-profile figures.
read full account of Emilias experienceEmilia felt compelled to report the abuse she suffered after she began working with children
As a working adult, Emilia completed training in child protection.
This made her realise that she had experienced sexual abuse during her childhood.
read full account of Sami-Jos experienceThe man who abused Sami-Jo is out of prison, and she is scared every day that she might see him
For about a year, when Sami-Jo was in her mid-teens, she was sexually abused by her mother’s fiance.
She found some aspects of the investigation and court processes extremely harrowing and has suggestions to improve these processes for the benefit of victims and survivors.
read full account of Eshaals experienceEshaal’s family knew she had been raped, but insisted she was still a virgin and arranged for her to marry
Eshaal had a very difficult childhood and was preyed on by abusers, some of them family members.
She grew up in a Muslim family and she was blamed and shamed for being a victim.