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 Alexas experienceAlexa says that no agency should turn a blind eye to inappropriate relationships
Alexa recounts that as a teenager, she had an ‘intimate relationship’ with her science teacher. He lied about the state of his marriage and when the ‘relationship’ ended, she was left troubled for many years.
She says that at the time, she felt it was a love affair and it was only years after it ended and she became a mother that she recognised it was abuse.
read full account of Susans experienceSusan feigned symptoms so she could stay in hospital and escape sexual abuse at home
Susan describes growing up in a ‘dysfunctional family’, where it was common for family members to put each other down and swear at one another. The relationship between her parents was extremely violent and the police were frequently called to deal with incidents between them.
As a little girl, she adored her brother, but he began sexually abusing her, and she still suffers the lasting effects of this trauma.
read full account of Estelles experienceUnlike most schoolchildren, Estelle did not look forward to the long summer holidays
Estelle grew up in a large family. She says it was a warm environment but they struggled financially and socially because her father suffered from severe mental health issues.
Estelle comments that when she was growing up, there was considerable stigma attached to mental health conditions and as a result her family experienced some social isolation.
read full account of Celestes experienceCeleste says ‘ignorance and lack of knowledge and awareness are the biggest covers for abuse’
Celeste says her parents were religious, strict and naive.
She enjoyed regular visits to her grandmother, but a male relative who lived there sexually abused her. The impact of this has been all-encompassing and lifelong.
read full account of Lukeys experienceLukey has paid a high price for the sexual abuse he suffered
When Lukey was five years old, his father left home. He feels that not having a stable father figure is one of the reasons he was vulnerable to sexual abuse.
Lukey describes his father as a philanderer with ‘a woman in every port’.
read full account of Raquels experienceWhen Raquel had a child, she found it hard to understand the way her mother had treated her
Raquel’s parents separated when she was a young child.
She and her sister were left in the care of her mother, an alcoholic and a sex worker who exposed her children to sexual abuse.
read full account of Cates experienceCate says ‘being abused has limited me … I have never felt good enough’
When she was eight years old, Cate was told she was going on holiday.
In reality, she was being placed in care, where she was subjected to sexual abuse by her foster father.
read full account of Elizas experienceEliza says ‘There needs to be a shift in attitude to what people call “attention seeking”’
Eliza’s mother was in a relationship with a man who physically and emotionally abused her and her two children. To escape him, the family went to live in a hostel when Eliza was a young teenager.
She says ‘I was looking for attention … for someone to want me’. A man twice her age took advantage of her vulnerability and sexually abused her.
read full account of Georgias experienceGeorgia says ‘I wanted to run to my mum and tell her everything … but I didn’t want to upset her'
Georgia says ‘I used to spend the week dreading the weekend coming round’.
This was because she had music lessons on Saturdays with a teacher who sexually abused her.
read full account of Dustins experienceDustin says ‘One of my greatest sadnesses has been that I’ve never had kids’
Although Dustin’s faith has remained strong, he hasn’t been able to forget the abuse he suffered within the church.
The abuse took place at the church where Dustin was a chorister. It began when he was 10 years old and continued for a number of years.
read full account of Torzes experienceTorze was removed from a violent family then suffered abuse in the care system
Torze grew up in an extremely violent household.
She was placed in care where she suffered physical and sexual abuse on numerous occasions.
read full account of Corrines experienceCorrine says ‘I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders’
Corrine is in her 60s and sharing her account with the Truth Project is the first time she has spoken about the sexual abuse she suffered as a child.
She says she feels it is a shame she could not have done this 50 years ago ‘So that I could have become the person that I was supposed to have become’.