‘I spent a lifetime believing it was my fault’

“I was sexually violated by a Roman Catholic priest at a young age. I began to find the courage to deal with it following the documentary Suing the Pope in 2002.

"The journey into, through and beyond sexual violence is the most painful experience I have encountered in my lifetime.

“I sought the support of the One in Four organisation. I availed of group therapy. It was a powerful experience. I was able to share how I felt about my own experience of sexual abuse. I soon discovered and took heart from hearing that other people’s experiences were similar to my own. That was quite a revelation as I had lived in isolation behind my own wall of fear. I was terrorised and entrapped as a child against my will.