I have few memories before my father started to sexually abuse me at the age of 6, 46 years ago. 

My whole life has been tainted by this abuse. At the age of 15 the abuse ended; its legacy did not. 

The abuse I suffered has had an immeasurable impact on my life: psychologically, emotionally, physically, socially.

I chose to report his crimes to the police and in October 2021 my father was sentenced to 11 years. I waived my right to anonymity to speak out about father-daughter abuse which is thought to occur in 1 in 20 homes in the UK – on your street there are fathers abusing their daughters today.

Childhood sexual abuse thrives in silence and secrecy. By speaking out, I disabled my father’s power and took my power back. 

I would like to encourage other survivors to come forward and report their abuse; to break the cycle of shame and take their own power back. The more survivors who speak up, the more chance we have of bringing an end to the horrific crime of childhood sexual abuse.