Hi,I'm twenty-six and just this past year started to tell people that I had been abused through my whole childhood.
My dad abused me from the ages of four to twelve.
I finally told my mom at that time, mainly because I didn't want it to happen to my younger sister who was five at that time.
She didn't leave him and we never talked about it again. But at least the abuse stopped.
However, a couple of years later he raped my sister and she told my mom immediately.
He never did it again to either of us but still lived with us.
I could never forgive my mom for letting that happen to my little sis.
In January, 2005 we started going to family therapy because I have emotional problems due to the abuse. My sister started pushing me to report our dad and we did.
When our extended family found out they wanted to kill my dad. They were also very upset with my mom for not getting us help when we were younger.
I guess my dad couldn't take the pressure and two days after the family found out he killed himself.
A lot of my aunts and uncles still don't talk to my mom and others pretend everything is ok. I'm not as close to my mom or sister anymore. I barely revealed my secret to my boyfriend of ten years before my dad died. He was shocked.
Nobody could tell, they all thought we were the perfect family.
My dad had been sexually abused also as a young child by numerous siblings. This is no excuse but now I at least understand a little more about him. He kept that secret his whole life. He only told my mom after they were married for twenty-five years.
I've begun to go to therapy and am working on healing.
Thank you for doing this for the children in this world.
Earth Angel
November 22, 2006
