6. Some victims and survivors, including 16 percent of Truth Project participants, wanted to seek some form of closure to being sexually abused as a child. Maddy said that participating in the Truth Project “almost feels like an end to it”.^[1] Corrine felt that she could now “let it go”.^[2] Participating in the Truth Project was described as symbolic for some victims and survivors. Sharon said: “I am still alive, I came to the Truth Project because I could have been dead”.^[3]

7. Sharing their experiences with the Inquiry was also an opportunity for victims and survivors to take back some of the power that sexual abusers took from them. Janine said: “I am doing this for five year old me”,^[4] while Barny commented:

“These monsters have taken enough from me; today little Barny is going to speak.”^[5]

Barny, Truth Project participant