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 Rickys experienceRicky says the people who abused him ‘took away my childhood and destroyed my life and the lives of others’
Owing to extreme poverty, Ricky’s mother sent him to live in a Catholic children’s home where abuse was rife.
He suffered emotional and physical abuse, and was sexually abused by two members of staff, a priest and a nun.
read full account of Colts experienceColt says ‘It’s a relief to get stuff out of my head I’ve had there for 35 years’
Colt survived bereavement, chaos and sexual abuse in his early years.
His experiences make him question why more resources seem to be allocated to drug prosecutions than to investigating child sexual abusers.
read full account of Nancys experienceNancy was sexually abused as an evacuee during the Blitz
Nancy feels strongly that she wants people to understand sexual abuse of children is not a new occurrence. Her traumatic experiences happened when she was a young girl during the Second World War.
Nancy had just started school when the Blitz began, and she and her sibling were evacuated from the city to a farm where they stayed for several years.
read full account of Hannahs experienceHannah feels that talking to the Truth Project has helped her in the healing process
Hannah was sexually abused by her uncle, her mother’s stepbrother, in her home and in the home of her grandparents.
She was very young at the time and, as the perpetrator was a relative, she says she initially thought the abuse was ‘normal family affection.’ She describes her family set-up as ‘odd’.
read full account of Calebs experienceCaleb’s stepfather intimidated him to stop him reporting the sexual abuse
Caleb’s father left the family home, and his mother had four more children with another partner.
One of this man’s relatives sexually abused Caleb.
read full account of Ann-Maries experienceWhen Ann-Marie was sexually abused, some family members blamed her, and her peers ostracised her
Ann-Marie works with children and young people, with particular responsibilities for safeguarding.
She comments ‘It took me until I was in my 50s to say that I had been sexually abused as a child, which is ironic, really’.
read full account of Todds experienceTodd says ‘This hellhole, masquerading as a school, destroyed my family, and life’
For six years, Todd endured a brutal regime of extreme physical, sexual and psychological abuse at a Catholic prep school.
Some perpetrators at the school were later brought to justice, but the one Todd considers the most brutal, and many others, never were.
read full account of Sadies experienceA Catholic priest confessed to raping Sadie but the church allowed him to teach at another school
After a Catholic priest raped Sadie at school, her parents were told by a senior church official that he would be sent abroad.
But on Sadie’s first day at a new school, the priest walked into her classroom to teach religious education.
read full account of Dan s experiencePrompted by news about the football and Savile cases, Dan spoke for the first time after more than 60 years
Dan was born during the war. His mother was a single parent and he was adopted at birth by a couple whom he describes as ‘lovely’ parents, and he says he had ‘a great childhood’.
Sadly his adoptive father died when Dan was still young. He suspects that the lack of a father figure in his life made him vulnerable to the sexual abuse he was subjected to by a Scout leader.
read full account of Jonnys experienceJonny says ‘It took me a long time to recognise that what happened to me was major’
Jonny was groomed online by a man who initially pretended to be a teenager.
When they met in person, the man raped him.
read full account of Normans experienceNorman says ‘I feel better now I’ve started talking about the abuse’
For over 50 years, Norman has been debilitated by the effects of child sexual abuse he suffered.
Norman grew up in the 1960s. He was one of a number of children, who all lived with their mother. He explains that his mum had a chronic health condition and often had to be admitted to hospital.
read full account of Aneiras experienceAneira says that children who are abused ‘lose their childhood and the person they could have been’
For as far back as she can remember, Aneira was afraid of her father.
He started sexually abusing her when she was about six years old.