“I am writing this open letter because I want people to understand what abuse feels like, from my point of view anyway. I want people to know that you can’t “Just tell someone” I told and I want to make you aware that it doesn’t make it all better. In fact, for me and many other victims, it made things 100 times worse….
“Inside my head my silent voice screamed for help but my mouth wouldn’t let a single sound out. Something shocked my soul straight out of my body and it hovered at the bottom of the bed as I watched him abuse my body…
“I reported him to my employer for sexual harassment. I gave specific details of his abuse and they called me a liar. I had been telling my boss and my colleagues about his behaviour for 3 years but we were friends so they said I consented to his abuse….
“They said he was the victim and I was vindictive and vexatious. My employer told me I should have said NO more than once. They said I agreed to a wine with my colleague so therefore they believed the sex was consensual. I wanted to die. I was telling the truth and no one would listen. I was suffering panic attacks and flashbacks. I didn’t want to leave the house. I felt constantly afraid and constantly sick. I couldn’t trust my own judgement anymore. My health hit rock bottom. I was diagnosed with PTSD and prescribed antidepressants and sleeping pills….
“My employer dragged my grievance out for a year then sacked me. At each stage they tried to bully me into silence. I fought back because I knew I was telling the truth. The union funded my legal representation and at last I felt like I had someone on my side. The company dragged the legal fight out for more than a year. I was unable to work for 2 years…
My full story is here: Don’t Take My Voice
