Battling

Hi I’m an Australian girl I’m 16 years old and I was, physically, mentally and sexually abused by my grand father. The first time this ever happened to me was when my mum and father went there separate ways, my father took me and my 3 other siblings away from my mum, never to be seen for 8 years, I was 5 years old my father made my grandparents look after us for about 6 months, until he sorted out some things were we used to live, my grandfather the first night we stayed at his house rapped me he told me if I was to ever tell anyone he would shoot me and my 3 other siblings, at the time I knew what was happening but then I didn’t as I got older and he continued to rape me, I soon became awake to the situation and what he was doing to me, I just never knew how to tell anyone so I kept quiet, when I turned 12 I finally came out about what he was doing to me, but no one ever believed me not even my own father, I got in contact with my mother and moved away with her by this time I was majority depressed my father had kicked his 13 year old daughter out on the streets my life was a wreck, I had no where to live, no food, nothing, I was a disaster I got a tattoo at the age of 13, when my mum found out about it she took straight to the police station and we gave statements and to this day I’m still trying to win a battle, I never thought I have to fight, if it wasn’t for my mum I would never had made it to this day, I was a massive self Harmer, I’ve tried everything to cease the pain nothing ever worked, I always thought this was all my fault!!! But it’s not that disgusting man took everything I ever owned my innocence my dignity. MY LIFE, how can one person do this to another?

— Survivor, age 16