Sexual assault

In my personal and professional life, I have sadly come across quite a number of women who were sexually abused as children.

For most of them, it isn’t the act alone that damaged them. It is the action- or inaction- of the person they reported the assault to that damaged them. This might have been a parent, guardian, teacher or even religious leader.

Some of these trusted adults reacted by insisting the child was confused, lying or in some cases, even punished the child. Some did nothing at all.

So everytime they recall their experience, what hurts most is the betrayal by the person they reported the incident to. Telling this adult probably took a lot of courage. They must have greatly trusted this person to make it right. To then have this adult make no attempt to seek justice is simply damaging.

If a child ever reports sexual assault to you, please start from a point of belief. Please remember that for the rest of this child’s life, they will remember what you do – or didn’t do.
Fight for the child. With everything you have. Seek justice because you owe it to this child to do so and also because this sick person will hurt so many others and you’d be partly responsible.