At the age of 6 when most children are playing with toys and enjoying childhood, I was being sexually abused by a family member. I wanted to desperately to tell my mother what was happening to me; however, due to the threats that were made by the abuser, I was too afraid to speak up.
Every Sunday I would go to the house where the perpetrator lived and this is when he would abuse me. When it was time to go to their place, I would invent sicknesses and other excuses to avoid going there, and at times I would make myself vomit.
After telling my mother I repeatedly said, “you believe me, mummy, you believe me mummy”, that’s when the police were called. Knowing that my mother believed me caused an overwhelming relief. That was the beginning of my healing journey.
My childhood trauma has taught me that the effects are long-lasting, but also that our past does not dictate our future.
