I was raped by a relative who lived with us at the time, at the age of 9. We were asylum seekers then, so we shared our home with other family members and friends. My parents had no idea that the grooming process started a year prior.

This was not the only incident; I was forcefully kissed by a different family member who went on to sexually abuse me in my adulthood when I was under the influence of alcohol. Different men throughout my childhood and adolescence took advantage of my vulnerability, and I will never forget every single one of them and how disgusting this abuse made me feel.

In secondary school, I was called promiscuous after confiding in a friend about what had happened, and my story was twisted to say I had slept with this family member who was in his mid 20’s at the time. I was called names throughout my time in school and sexually abused by peers.Today, I share my story to raise awareness and hopefully prevent this from happening to others.