When I was 13 years old I went to stay with a cousin and her husband. After being there a few weeks off and on the husband started getting close to me and i didnt understand why. One night he came into the room where I was sleeping acting like he had no where else to sleep. Even though I wasn’t comfortable I let him because it was his house. I woke up to him staring at me and just rolled over. He ended up touching me. I don’t know if he thought I was asleep or what. Then through the course of a year he raped me multiple times. More than just vaginally. He liked other things more. He’d used me and be done. He used to tell me he loved me and tried to get me to believe that’s what love was. I believed him. When I final spoke out my mother blamed me and my cousin denied it. Couldn’t be her husband I was jealous and she couldn’t believe id do that to her family.
At 16 I moved from home and went to stay with friends. On going to stay with another friend a state away I got stranded and needed to get home. To my foster mom’s house. So I accepted a ride from someone I thought I knew. He didn’t take me home. He took me straight to his house and raped me 4 times. Then took me home the next morning.
— Survivor, age 21
Dear survivor – thank you so much for sharing your story. First I want to say that I absolutely believe you and I’m so sorry your mom reacted that way. You speaking out was so strong and so brave and you deserved to be loved and comforted and supported. And believed. It’s so easy to believe someone when they say that’s what love is, especially at that age. It’s not your fault for believing him. But what he did to you was WRONG and you deserve to be loved and supported in a healthy way. I would encourage you to talk to a therapist about what you’ve been through. The events are traumatic enough but having someone you trust not believe you can add to the things to work through. It’s really hard and takes a lot of work but I do believe you can heal. Sending you love and solidarity, Alexis