Letter from abuse survivor

I was sad to hear that former students at two Rosminian schools suffered such cruel and inhuman treatment at the hands of their teachers. It is hard to imagine the impact of this experience on a young person. It does not always affect you immediately. If you have been sexually molested as a child it can creep up on you many years later, making it very difficult to form relationships and hard to take on the mantle of parenthood.

I know. I was abused by a teacher in France 44 years ago. I did not speak of it for a very long time and almost forgot about it until certain events happened which brought vividly the memory back. I found intimacy very difficult. My first marriage ended in divorce. It was then that I began to have group therapy and individual psychotheraphy and started to examine my past life and heal. I also began to pray. I now have started a new relationship and we are getting married next year. I am 54 and it is late to start a family but I have been blessed with a wonderful woman who was widowed and has children so I feel very fortunate.

The advice I would want to give to anyone who has suffered in this way is to get help. Get help! It is never too late. With good therapy one can recover and heal, forgive, overcome difficulties and live life fully.

We only have one life and God wants us to be happy. He does give us the strength to overcome the most terrible experience if we ask for help.

Name withheld