Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Research says two thirds of child sexual abuse victims didn’t tell anyone about it when it happened

A NEW research published on Thursday(28) has found that over two thirds of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse did not tell anyone at the time of abuse.

The research from the Independent Inquiry into child sexual abuse has revealed that when victims tried to report the sexual abuse, they were threatened, ignored or told to stay silent.


More than 5,400 victims and survivors of child sexual abuse have now shared their experiences with the Truth Project in England and Wales. Of these, 5,104 personal accounts have been analysed for research purposes.

One in 10 disclosed the abuse for the first time when they spoke to the Inquiry’s Truth Project, which wants to understand how organisations have failed to protect children from sexual abuse.

Survivors spoke of sexual abuse taking place in schools, religious settings and residential care, as well as healthcare and sports settings, and more than a third were between four and seven years when the abuse began.

Over half of survivors reported other forms of abuse to the Inquiry, with physical abuse, such as being choked, punched or dragged by the hair, most commonly disclosed (31 per cent).

According to the research, all the victims experienced some form of impact as a result of the child sexual abuse, with 87 per cent describing an effect on their mental health and over a third reporting depression. Nearly half said they had an illness or condition that affects their everyday lives.

Survivors also talked about changes they hope to see in future, such as further education and a more open conversation on the impact of child sexual abuse.

The Truth Project is closing in 2021, but victims and survivors who would like to share their experience can still do so by phone, via video call or in writing, a statement said.

For more details, click here

More For You

Starmer scraps NHS England to cut costs and improve care

Keir Starmer speaks with medical staff during a visit to the Elective Orthopaedic Centre at Epsom Hospital in Epsom, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Starmer scraps NHS England to cut costs and improve care


HUNDREDS of millions of pounds could be saved and patient waiting lists reduced as prime minister Keir Starmer announced plans to abolish NHS England, the body overseeing the state-funded health system.

In a speech delivered in Hull, Starmer explained his decision to streamline the National Health Service's management structure: "I can't, in all honesty, explain to the British people why they should spend their money on two layers of bureaucracy."

Keep ReadingShow less
Early risers in the UK witness stunning Blood Moon eclipse

The lunar eclipse of Friday may not have been as dramatic as the total eclipses seen in other parts of the world

iStock

Early risers in the UK witness stunning Blood Moon eclipse

In the early hours of Friday morning, stargazers across the UK were treated to a partial lunar eclipse, with many enthusiasts rising before dawn to catch a glimpse. The celestial event, which saw the Earth's shadow partially covering the Moon, began at 05:09 GMT. Although only partial for most UK observers, it still presented a spectacular sight, with western parts of the country and regions further afield, such as the Americas and some Pacific islands, witnessing the eclipse.

For some, like Kathleen Maitland, the experience was magical. Stargazing from Pagham Harbour in West Sussex, she described the beauty of watching the Moon gradually darken and transform into a reddish hue, with the sunrise unfolding behind her. The eclipse gave rise to the so-called "blood Moon," a phenomenon that occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, turning a dusky red as sunlight is refracted through the Earth's atmosphere.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sangam Foundation celebrates Women's Day

From L- Reetu Kabra, Maya Sondhi, Shobu Kapoor and Meera Syal during Sangam Foundation's Women's Day celebrations.

Sangam Foundation celebrates Women's Day

HUNDREDS of women gathered for the International Women's Day celebrations of Sangam Foundation last week. Prominent actresses Meera Syal, Shobhu Kapoor and Maya Sondhi have attended the event, a statement said.

The British Asian celebrities shared their experiences of breaking into an industry rife with misogyny and prejudice. The industry veterans also talked about challenges they faced in a male-dominated field.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian tycoon Sudhir Choudhrie  backs Liberal
Democrats with £23,000

Sudhir Choudhrie

Asian tycoon Sudhir Choudhrie  backs Liberal Democrats with £23,000

BUSINESSMAN Sudhir Choudhrie has emerged as one of the biggest British Asian donors to the Liberal Democrats in the last quarter of 2024, according to the latest data from the Electoral Commission.

Choudhrie, currently an advisor on India to the leader of the Liberal Democrats, contributed on six different occasions to the party between October and December 2024, totalling more than £23,000. He contributed in a similar fashion in the previous quarter as well.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sunak is ‘content in his MP role
and has no desire to move to US’

(From left) Rishi Sunak with wife Akshata Murty, and parents Usha and Yashvir Sunak

Sunak is ‘content in his MP role and has no desire to move to US’

RISHI SUNAK “loves being an MP” and has no intention of flying to California to begin a new life in America, as his enemies alleged during the general election campaign last year.

And, unlike Boris Johnson, he is not striving to be prime minister again, even though he is still only 44.

Keep ReadingShow less