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 Kellies experienceKellie says victims and survivors with low self-esteem need support to report child sexual abuse
Kellie was sexually abused by her foster father throughout her teenage years.
She says it is only because she is a successful professional she feels she has ‘a fighting chance’ to deal with the justice system and the abuser.
read full account of Angellas experienceAngella has spent many years feeling that her abuse was not ‘serious enough’
Angella has felt that the online abuse she was subjected to was not ‘serious’ compared to ‘horrendous things’ suffered by others.
However, she is now clear about the damage inflicted by online abuse and the need to educate everyone about the harm it does.
read full account of Parkers experienceBeing sexually abused led to Parker living and working on the streets
Parker explains that his mother found it difficult to manage her teenage children. She looked to two different men for support, and both of them sexually abused Parker.
He left home and lived on the streets for a time, where more men abused him.
read full account of Nickys experienceOne social worker thought that in Nicky’s family ‘there is sexual rivalry between mum and her daughters’
Nicky grew up in the 1970s in conditions of squalor and neglect. She was sexually abused throughout her childhood into her teenage years by several perpetrators.
She also relates a catalogue of indifference and failures by social services and the police.
read full account of Annalisas experienceAnnalisa reported that the man who had sexually abused her was working with children, but no action was taken
Annalisa feels let down by the way the police handled her report of sexual abuse by a family member.
She understands the challenges involved in proving allegations, but believes they could have done more.
read full account of Lances experienceFor Lance, being away from the ‘safe haven of home’ compounded the impact of his abuse
Lance was 11 years old when he won a scholarship to a boarding school.
He was subjected to sexual abuse and bullying that has affected his life and relationships for many years, but has taken many steps to understand and recover from his experiences.
read full account of Lathikas experienceLathika says that being an obedient child stopped her speaking out about being abused
Lathika is of Indian heritage and was born in the UK. She says her parents were hard-working, religious, very strict and traditional.
She was sexually abused by two of her relatives and one other man.
read full account of Qailahs experienceA doctor lied to Qailah by telling her she might get cancer, and sexually abused her during her ‘treatment’
A surgeon gave a false diagnosis to 12-year-old Qailah, claiming that she had a serious and potentially life-threatening condition.
He used this as a pretext to see her for frequent appointments over the following years, and exploited his position of authority to sexually and psychologically abuse her.
read full account of Joaneys experienceJoaney was sexually abused by two crew members on a ship
Joaney says she had ‘an unusual life’ as a child. Her dad was in the merchant navy and she and her mum would accompany him on board his ship during school holidays. She says at first this was a very positive and happy experience. Some of the ships had children’s rooms which she really enjoyed.
But on one voyage, when Joaney was about 10, two of the crew members sexually abused her. One was a technician, who would take her to his cabin and put his hands all over her body. She now realises that he was aroused, but she did not understand this at the time.
read full account of Jeanettes experienceLack of love from her parents made it easy for Jeanette’s older brother to exploit and abuse her
Jeanette and her siblings were neglected and physically abused by their parents.
She craved affection and this made her vulnerable to sexual abuse by her half-brother.
read full account of Dennys experienceDenny hopes that there is better protection today for young people in custody than there was for him
Criminal behaviour, alcohol abuse and violence was a regular feature in Denny’s family life when he was growing up in the 1970s and 80s.
He spent time in a youth detention centre as a teenager, where he was subjected to violent assaults and sexual abuse.
read full account of Horrences experienceHorrence is happy now, but he feels his experience of abuse by a priest robbed him of his youth
Frightened and bullied at boarding school, Horrence felt his only friend was one of the Catholic priests on the staff.
But this man groomed and sexually abused him, then ‘dropped’ him after a year.