Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thanks for your letter and telling me about how things are for you. You have done really well to get in touch and tell me about the abuse you suffered, so well done for that.

You tell me that you were sexually abused by your cousins 7 years ago and your cousins were wrong to hurt you in this way. I can hear that you want to press charges against your cousins and it sounds like you would like them to be punished for what they did to you. No matter how long ago the abuse happened you can always report it. You can do this at any police station and they will investigate what you tell them and usually offer you support.  

The police should take seriously any crime that is reported to them and investigate that crime; its then up to the police to decide what the outcome of what the investigation would be. So I couldn’t say for sure what would happen to your cousins but the police would take what you tell them seriously and investigate it.

It sounds like you have been coping with this alone for a long time and you have decided it is time to tell someone. There are many reasons why young people decide to tell someone about the abuse they have suffered and it can bring up different feelings for different people. Therefore it can be helpful to think about what support you have when you tell someone and after you have told them, what you are hoping will happen when you tell someone and how it will be if the outcome is different to what you had hoped for.

It seems like you have come a long way to get to this point of telling someone and I can hear that has taken you a lot of strength and courage. At ChildLine we know telling someone about abuse can be a lot to cope with and we are here to support you through that process.

You can talk to our counsellors about anything, 24 hours a day, everyday either, 1-2-1 chat or on the phone for free on 0800 1111.

Take care

Sam