4. Many victims and survivors wanted their experiences to be heard. Twenty-one percent of Truth Project participants wanted the opportunity to tell someone in authority about their experiences; 15 percent wanted their account to be believed. For some, this was because they had previously not been listened to or taken seriously when they disclosed that they had been sexually abused. Barbara said: “I want my voice heard, I want it on record … I am not the child in the police station”.^[1] This point was often emphasised by deaf Truth Project participants, who particularly valued the opportunity to communicate about their experiences. Lysa is deaf and came to the Truth Project because she wanted to be listened to and believed.^[2]

5. Victims and survivors said it was valuable for their recovery from child sexual abuse to be heard without judgement. Hollie said: “I can now say I’m finally being heard, and can … grieve for the person I might have been if I had not been a victim of child abuse”.^[3] Others spoke of waiting a lifetime to share their experiences:

“I’m 65, and the Truth Project is the first support I’ve felt I’ve had in my whole life where I can actually tell a story. So I’ve waited a very long time”.^[4]

Ethnic minority communities research participant