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 Aarons experienceWhen Aaron heard a tree branch hitting his bedroom window he was terrified it was his abuser
Aaron’s father worked for the emergency services. The family house was provided with his employment and their next door neighbour was a work colleague.
When Aaron was about five years old, this neighbour began to sexually abuse him. To this day, certain sounds can trigger distressing memories for him.
read full account of Ethyns experienceEthyn did not report a fellow schoolboy for abusing him ‘out of loyalty’
Ethyn was sent to a private boarding school where he was targeted by older pupils and teachers for sexual abuse.
The large dormitory in which Ethyn slept was supervised by a prefect who made it clear he considered Ethyn, who was not yet a teenager, to be ‘pretty’.
read full account of Isobels experienceIsobel would like to see a victim-centred justice system that triggers specialist mental health support
Isobel was one of five children in a family that never had enough money. She describes her childhood as ‘hard’. As she was mature for her age, she took on a helping role alongside her mother. She found school difficult and felt ‘isolated and lost’ there.
One of the teachers, Mr Smith, ran a club that her siblings attended, and he suggested she join too. He organised outward bound trips for the club; Isobel was always given her own tent and it was on one of these outings that he began to sexually abuse her. She reflects that not only did he groom her but also her family, as her mother probably welcomed another adult taking her children on holidays when she could not afford to.
read full account of Poppys experiencePoppy says abused children in mental health units felt ‘it wasn’t even worth telling anyone’ about the abuse
Poppy had a serious eating disorder and as a child she spent long periods of time in secure children’s mental health units.
She describes a feeling of resignation and acceptance among the children in the unit that abuse of all kinds was normal in these institutions.
read full account of Hughs experienceHugh’s abusers told him ‘You can’t say anything, I have tremendous influence’
Hugh describes highly organised sexual abuse at the approved school he attended, involving staff and others from outside the institution, some of whom may have been in positions of senior authority.
He describes himself as a very bright child who was also ‘troublesome’. At the age of about 10, he appeared in juvenile court and was sent to an approved school.
read full account of Kerris experienceKerri says ‘I know I’m allowed to be angry but I don’t want the anger to control my life’
Kerri gives an emotional description of her feelings when she was sexually abused at the age of 13.
‘Overnight my whole world turned upside down … my own father, who I loved, became a person to fear.’
read full account of Lornas experienceAfter sharing her experience, Lorna says it felt like ‘a weight has lifted’
Lorna’s father was a serviceman and the family moved frequently around different army bases.
She felt lonely and isolated as a child, and this made her vulnerable to sexual abuse by a neighbour who was also in the army.
read full account of Rosas experienceRosa says ‘I don’t think any child should be made to be the guilty one … that was my experience’
Rosa was violently raped when she was 11 years old by a worker on the large country estate where she lived.
The landowner, medical professionals and her own family all colluded in covering up what had happened.
read full account of Wesleys experienceWesley was raped at boarding school. ‘I felt it was my lot … it was what happened’ he says
Wesley was subjected to years of brutality and sexual abuse at a prestigious boarding school.
Far from home and feeling ‘abandoned’ by his parents, he says there was no question of reporting the abuse to anyone.
read full account of Matthiass experienceMatthias says that when he was in a children’s home ‘we lived with fear every day’
Matthias spent his entire childhood and adolescence in the care system.
He suffered abuse and brutality and witnessed other children suffering the same, but none of the professionals he reported this to took any action to protect them.
read full account of Halles experienceWhen the man who abused her was found not guilty, Halle felt that ‘no one believes children’
Halle loved music as a child, but her parents could not afford lessons for her. She was thrilled when a music teacher offered her free tuition.
This man turned out to be a sexual abuser, but as an adult, Halle applies her traumatic experiences to make a difference in her career.
read full account of Gillys experienceA medical professional brutally sexually assaulted Gilly when she was a vulnerable pregnant teenager
Gilly got pregnant when she was a teenager in the 1960s.
During the secretive process to have the baby adopted, she was sexually abused by a doctor.