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Wow, first of all. How empowering. I can't even fully talk to therapists or my family support workers because I'm afraid I'll have to make statements. I've been sexually assaulted and raped more times than I can remember. One particularly tough event, my ex, my child's fathers. Well I was passed out. I woke up to him carefully pulling out of my body. I ran to the toilet. Sick with shock. I had a protection order but I had let my guard down and gotten drunk with neighbours the night before. I called my sister. She came to bring me to an emergency chemist. I took the morning after pill. Month came, the Date and I still hadn't got my period. The test was positive. I had to illegally obtain tablets and have an abortion in my sisters house. Very sad and awful time of my life. This platform is a god send.

I used to think rape was what you'd see in movies. Jumped on by a stranger and violently assaulted. Turns out I was wrong. I have been raped on multiple occasions and didn't fully understand it until I got older and wiser and also found out that I'm autistic. This is what helped me to understand what had really happened. I learned and studied autism in girls and women and figured it out from there. I was vulnerable and impressionable and masked so much that I was a completely different person on the outside than who I really was on the inside. When I was younger and had no clue that I was being preyed upon due to my vulnerability and started to pretend as though I just liked sex and was willingly promiscuous. It was a lie I told myself and my friends so that I didn't have to face the fact I couldn't and didn't know how to say no and mean it. There is flight, fight and also freeze. So many times I was telling them no and when they didn't stop I just froze and realised that my voice was pointless and they weren't listening to me. It was easier to allow them to finish without fighting and having it be violent too. I didn't realise how badly the mental impact would be. One particular night I was out in a bar and a few of us went back to a house party. One guy was showing interest in me and I actually liked it. We kissed and had fun and then he led me to a bedeoom and I hesitated but ended up going in. When he started to undress me I held my dress and said no. I said it so many times and he started to get really rough and forceful and started saying things to me about leading him on and what did I think was going to happen and I just wanted it rough. I realised that no matter what I said, sex was going to happen so I had two options, fight and be both violently and sexually assaulted or just have the sex without any further resistance which would mean that I'd be only sexually assaulted without the extra violence. I chose the latter and for a long time I believed that I just had sex that night. I now realise that was absolutely rape. It's played with my mental health for over ten years and I'm ready to acknowledge what happened to me instead of being in denial.

I'm a 19-year-old Filipina girl from city in the Philippines. My father raped me when I was 11 years old. It lasted for over three years. When I was 13 years old and had my first period, he stopped. He works as a seafarer, and when he comes home, I always feel scared and intimidated. I didn't want to tell my mother because she would either not believe me or launch a lawsuit against my father, and since he is our family's breadwinner, we would struggle to live. For years, our mother also verbally and physically mistreated us, even taunting to kill us out of rage. That, they claim, is their method of discipline. I am the eldest of four sisters, and for years I remained silent and faced the trauma alone. My 14-year-old sister, who came after me, just revealed that our father attempted to rape her as well. I suppose she was stronger than me because she taunted our father, threatening to tell our mother. My father then came to a halt. Aside from that, our father would regularly make jokes or say things about us that had sexual innuendos in front of my mother or even in front of guests. They think it's a joke and would join in the laughter. For my sister and myself, it irritates us that he appears unconcerned about what he did to us. An occurrence earlier this year prompted us to tell our mother about what our father had done to us on the spur of the moment. We assumed she'd understand, but it turns out she blamed us for what happened. She was enraged with our father, but much more so with us, since she feels betrayed that we didn't inform her after all these years. My mother had heart complications, and the news made her body so weak that we were afraid she would die. Our father, who appeared remorseful, pleaded for forgiveness, and because I was also concerned about my mother, I accepted his apologies right away. My parents appeared to be back to normal a few days afterwards, as if nothing had occurred. It appeared to be brushed off their shoulders until today. They kept up their dictatorial, condescending, and destructive parenting styles. My sisters and I have been through a lot in our family, and we don't seem to have a choice about it. I want to seek for help, but I'm afraid it will destabilize our family, and our parents also wanted us to remain silent. I still can't get it out of my head, and I'm finding it difficult to cope with every day. I had regular suicide ideations, but I couldn't even bring myself to seek professional aid.

High Priest, You are not my superior Nor would I say equal The darkness overtook you? Abdication of responsibility - not good enough "Call to my house" You opened the door to naivety and trust Vulnerability at the worst You - only lust. In this now New Earth With the light streaming in I see your cowardice, your sin You took the phone off the hook Now, two decades later, to be disturbed The light won't let the dirt hide any longer Now I am stronger. I forgive you to set myself free You have played your part I am at peace, in my power and to reiterate, free.

I want to say my story so at least someone hears it. I was 15 he was 16 but much larger and stronger then me. He was a friend at first but we both grew to he feelings for each other. Within the first few months I found out he cheated on me. From there I was ready to leave him but he grew possessive and blackmailed me into staying with him. He had pictures and videos I didn’t know he even saved or took. The mental abuse turned physical as not a day went past where he wouldn’t hurt me or use my body for his satisfaction. It took me 2 years to get out of It. But I am still facing the pain still. I live in a small town and see his face more then I should. I am reminded of what he did by the way he looks at me or makes snide comments every time he sees me. I’m nearly 20.

So here it is I was infant when it start happen and I was hurt by my hole family my mom and dad my grandpa and my grandma I was hurt to point that they were so toxic that they beat me when I was baby my grandpa did most the damage and he hurt me so bad that I gave in what he want but not a first he abuse me first then I got my revenge after that he beat me it hard to believe but I know and the fact that I been threw all this they said they did it so did my dad and so did my mom I was devastated because i start see clue like on my face i have cut sence i was child on lip and every single time i look in the mirror i get sad but i know now it feels good open up like this and there alot more i need to say get off my chest but it's so bad that this story I'm about tell you that I was in sex trafficking my grandpa use to have men around me and I would have sex with them because I was under of his command and he use to buy prostitute for me to have sex with them it was bad like he didn't get enough know what to do and how it start it was my first then my mom and then dad for sure and my grandpa and his wife my grandma I feel better letting this out more then ever thank you letting me speak because I didnt have voice and I couldn't find help but now this more then ever thank you

She was hurt too. She is so damaged and hurt just like me. But I still didn't deserve what she did to me.

Hello, this is my first post and I wanted to share what happened as a female on female SA victim (I think, not sure tho)... When I was 15 at the time my then firend took advantage of me. She offered to give me a massage at a public pool, but her touches became inappropriate and manipulative. At the time, I didn’t realize what was happening, and I even defended her when my parents noticed red flags and tried to protect me. And since then my parents developed prejudices against LGBTQ+ people, which I don’t agree with. However, that trauma made me reinforce my heterosexuality and influenced my vews. Even now, I still struggle to set boundaries, even after what happened.

I don’t know where to begin but all these triggers come up so many And each one seems to lean back to the very first time that I can remember where my autonomy was taken from me I was 11. I can even remember what I was wearing. There was a man in his late 20s. He passed away last summer and I was glad that he wasn’t here anymore. I’m 47 now and it’s still bothers me just as much as it did back then and maybe it’s because I didn’t have support. I was in the backseat of the car and my two sisters were on either side of me. They were younger I’m the oldest my mom wasn’t in the car yet and the man he was drunk. He had a beer in his hand and he reached, he turned around and he he put his hand inside of me and I can remember it felt so heavy I couldn’t get it out. I had on white shorts a few minutes later my mom got in the car. I remember her sunglasses they’re so big. I always thought they were ugly to wear them all the time I called out Mama and she said what she didn’t even turn around to look and I think I said tell him to stop and she started to laugh and she looked at him and he looked at her and she said I hope you never get a boyfriend and they smiled at each other and he took his hand out. Although I was married for 30 years, which my mom introduced me to him when I was 14, I don’t believe I’ve ever been in a relationship not one where it was my choice. I’m 47 and I haven’t been in a Relationship. I suppose now it’s like nothing was ever my choice right so it’s almost like there’s a clean slate. And All these triggers like they go back to this one incident there’s so many other memories and so many other things that have happened to me honestly, there’s things that have happened to me that are worse but it’s like this one and I think it’s because I was only 11 and my mom was right there and shouldn’t help me And I became this person that would just figure it all out herself, but the thing is I can’t and I need help and I don’t even know how to accept it let alone get it and I’ve been going to therapy for over a year and this memory is just as active right now that as it was When I started going to therapy and it’s because I haven’t actually talked about it in therapy. The first therapist I had was an experienced and so I had to find a new therapist and although I’ve been to EMDR and we processed it all the way through where it felt like it wasn’t as intense and it still is, but it’s more than just what happened. There’s defined me. It literally made me who I became I got married when I was 17 and I didn’t wanna get married. My dad made me and I didn’t think I had a choice and I don’t even know why I got married Other than that. My whole life has been a series of what everybody else wanted or whatever everybody else was doing or needed or was pushing or forcing me to do not my choice And when I finally able to make my own choices, it’s like nothing is coming together in the way that I want it to because I’m afraid I’m so afraid that I’ll get hurt. This may be the first time that I have talked about this because I chose to.

I can't remember the month I met him or the day he became a coworker. I just remember meeting him and thinking he was shy. I remember him having a friendly smile. Something about him made me feel safe. He was kind and patient and empathetic. I guess our friendship started when I needed someone and I was vulnerable. I've been happily married for over a decade. Even now, I've haven't spoken about what happened. I feel dirty. I haven't been able to write about what happened to me. For a long time, I blamed myself because I was high when it happened. I was so high that I couldn't feel anything. There are blank spots within my memory, but I do remember the first night. A few coworkers and I had decided to go out for drinks and play pool at a local bar. He offered to drive me home and we talked. It was nice. After a few hours, he picked me up again and we drove around the city. It wasn't long before the feeling on his hands were on my skin. I asked him to stop and he did for a while. He drove into an old church parking lot and we continued to talk. He knew I was married, but he wanted to kiss me anyway. When he leaned in, I told him no. I don't quite remember the rest of the evening but I remember reading the time and seeing 2:13am. I told him that I needed to go home, but he said I had to do something first. I thought he was joking. He placed my hand on his lower body. I pulled away and told him no. He said, "Please. It would feel so good and I really need this." I told him we shouldn't, but he was persistent. He continued to grab my hand and put it on his crotch. He said it would feel better if he was able to "take it out". I asked him to stop and he said, "Sorry." I was grateful he apologized. "I thought you wanted this, though. You got me hardd, so now you have to finish," he said. I kept saying no and he continued to be persistent. The only answer left was to say yes. Externally, I said yes but internally I was saying no. I figured if I could make the situation less unpleasant, it would end quickly. I laid in the passenger seat feeling his hands move from my upper body down to my groin. He asked me to turn around and bend over. I told him no. He said, "I'm almost done. Please.. I need this." Even after saying no, he was persistent. I should have walked away or called 911 or called my Mom. Anything to save me. But I knew if I did, it would cause chaos. I was located 30-45 minutes outside of town - it was dark out, and I was worried he was going to hurt me or kick me out. I feel guilty for allowing him to touch me. It's hard not to feel guilty even though I froze and did what I could to survive. I returned home confused about what happened and acknowledged that I had not consented to that encounter. I know what assault is. I didn't want this to happen and I said no. Yet, it happened anyway. I learned about sexual coercion a few months after. This continued for a few months. He told me that I was a cheater because I didn't walk away. I feel like a cheater. I feel useless and powerless because he told me I had no choice. I feel responsible for what happened, but confused because it was unwanted. All along I've been wondering what he took from me. He took my consent.

I’m writing to try and seek clarity over my childhood experiences. It was mostly with a cousin of mine (both f). Nearly every time we would meet from the age of about 4 we would secretly kiss and she taught me oral. Then it became reciprocal oral. I remember feeling sick and ashamed whenever I would leave her house but it continued about once a year or less until we were 12. She tried to initiate something even later with me in our early 20s. I’m confused because of all the mess of feelings I have about it. I felt terrible after. I remember saying to her I preferred the kissing and tried to make her the centre of what was happening so I could give more than receive. I knew it wasn’t right and couldn’t tell either of my parents who were separated for a lot of this time span.

I was eleven when it happened. It was Wednesday in September of sixth grade. The boy who assaulted me I had only met on Monday of the same week, when he’d asked me if I had a boyfriend and/or any romantic interests (to which I responded I was gay), told me lesbians shouldn’t get married (to which I responded with the question why), and told me he knew this because he watched pornography. The day he assaulted me, he got uncomfortably close to me, and whispered in my ear that he liked me and wanted to kiss me, before placing his hand on my left thigh and moving it upwards, stopping briefly in the middle. I forgot for over a year, and when I remembered it triggered a relapse of self harm.

When I was 9 years old, I was at a place when I wanted to figure out what gender I was into. This phase quickly lasted for about 2, 3, or 4 months (I don't really know at all) because of my last encounter. I am a woman, but I had a female cousin who was 12 at the time. Before her, I was also briefly kissing only a few other girls because I wanted to know if I like them or not. But after I went to my female cousin's house, I never liked girls again. One of the things I've always hated my whole life and even now was that I didn't like it when people would see me naked. I feel really uncomfortable with people looking at me when I have little clothing on that people can easily see my body in such a state. I just always hated that, I only felt this way after I was 4 or 5 years old. I was a huge people pleaser my entire life and I was never taught to create boundaries with people. So if someone asked me to do something and I didn't want to do it, I would do it anyways because I wouldn't want them to get mad and yell at me because it would make me feel like I've hurt their feelings. As a 9 year old, I of course did not like hurting other's feelings because it was very rude. I did kiss her, but then she started to get more.....weird. She then started to take my pants off and my first reaction was to tell her no, I don't like it when people see me like that. I was very uncomfortable at this time. Then she said it was okay and that it wouldn't hurt and that it'll "feel good." I think she was already at puberty but I wasn't and I didn't want those things. She kept saying that it was okay and I can't remember anything else. All I know were these words because she repeated them the most. I told her I really didn't want to, but she insisted so much that I had begun to feel pressured. I didn't want to hurt her feelings so I complied and let her take me pants off. She then took my under wears off even though I didn't want them off. I eventually said, "Okay, you can do it, but only for a little while." When she put her mouth on my private, I didn't feel anything at all. (At this moment I was thinking about when she said it would feel good, but I didn't feel anything at all). I was very much uncomfortable so I told her to stop, then I slid my pants back on. I wanted to cry but not really. All I know was that I was very uncomfortable and wanted to leave and go home. I didn't want my day to be like this. I never shared this with anyone and I never plan to, but I wonder, am I in the wrong for agreeing to her demands? I know if I had told my back then family, they would've just shamed me for being into the same gender. I don't know what to do with this information. Help me better understand this.

When I was in Kindergarten, I was in a group with 3 boys, we are talking about how the crayons did have a wrapper on it, calling it naked. I don’t remember how it to this point but the next thing I remember is them showing me their private parts and for some reason I did the same. I remember knowing that I was told never to do that and I don’t remember why I did it but I do remember the end result. I was called into the principal’s office to tell them what happened and back then there was no word for Coercion which is what I’m pretty sure it was however I could be extremely wrong. My mom was also a Spanish speaker so I remember she understood most of it but not all of what I was telling her and the principal. The next thing I remember was being taken home but we went to my dad construction site instead. She severely beat me to the point where I was running out of the truck to my dad. I put this memory away up until a few days ago when somehow I started to remember. All I can think about is how I was beat for telling the truth and not really knowing any better I was 5. I do remember my mom telling me it was my fault and till this day I don’t know why I did what I did but I remember it’s my fault and the guilt hasn’t gone away since unlocking this memory. I blame myself obviously. I guess I’m here to not make myself feel better but in hopes that getting this out with help me heal. I’ve never told anyone this before, including my husband. Im 26 and currently pregnant, I’m terrified that what I am will affect my child. I didn’t even know if it was considered sexual abuse but I think it was. I was always seen as the problem child to everyone of my moms friends and family., i guess i can see why. This isn’t even the last sexual abuse I experienced just the first and honestly most traumatic for me.

I met him when we were in kindergarten. We easily became best friends. Few years later when I was 9 he tried to help me (I was in one of my first depression episodes) and he kinda did? I felt little bit better when he was around. Its how it started. But our relation didn't end well. It was few years later, we were about to finish primary school. I was 13 and he 15. Few days earlier I lost all my other friends, we had big fight. He offered I can stay in his house so my mom wouldn't be sad that I'm all alone again. I agreed, my mom had enough troubles because of my depression, I didn't want her to worry even more. So I went to his house, his mom wasn't there. He offered me to choose movie which we could watch. And then everything ended. He started touching me, even if I told him I don't want everything. I knew he had sex with other girls but I was 13 and didn't want to do it. However, he didn't care what I was saying. It took 4 hours for him to leave me alone. I was crying, I was screaming but he didn't want to listen. To stop. So 4 hours later when he finally ended in me I just sat on couch and didn't want to believe what really happened. Next few months I was trying to forget, I didn't tell anyone. I though that if I won't think and talk about this I forget. I was trying to tell myself nothing had ever happened. But when my great grandmother asked me (she was raped too when she was in my age) I couldn't lie anymore. It took few more years for me to tell my parents. And few next to tell my therapist. And now, many many years after that night I still can't forget. I don't know if I ever will be able to forget. When it happened I started to heal from my depression. Now I'm not able to live normally. I feel like that night took part of me from me. And I'll never get it again. Even if it happened years ago I still remember perfectly. I still can feel his touch on me when I'm going to bed. I see him in everyone. I'm afraid I'll never feel safe again.

I've experienced sexual assault numerous times, but that's another story. I was sexually assaulted during my first year at college by two students. On April 2022, my first attacker started to message me. Everything was platonic. We never even flirted. When we met up, everything was fine until he asked to hang out again. I wanted to be nice, so I agreed, not thinking anything of it. We hung out on April 12th, 2022, and everything was fine. Until we were both in his car, he asked if I "wanted to hook up?" I was caught off guard, but I declined. Still, he was persistent. I got uncomfortable and didn't know what to do. Then he started to kiss and touch me. He took my clothes off within seconds. I couldn't push him off. And he assaulted me without a condom. I just laid there frozen and paralyzed while he laughed. Afterward, he acted as if nothing had happened. At first, I didn't think it was sexual assault. I didn't process or comprehend it. I tried to convince myself that "I wanted it. I'm being dramatic. I liked it." I tried to self-gaslight and normalize the incident. I kept blaming myself, "This is my fault. I was the one who got in his car. I should've known better." So I acted like I was okay and tried to move on. Until the next day, I was sexually assaulted AGAIN twice, the second day in a row by HIS FRIEND/ TEAMMATE. In August 2021, my second attacker saw me and thought I was "pretty" and "wanted a relationship with me," but I made it very clear to him that I was not interested. Still, he would flirt and try to talk to me, but I kept rejecting him. He stopped trying, and we eventually became cool and slowly started to become friends. On April 13th, 2022, he invited me "to go eat." He lied and instead took me to an empty public parking garage. As soon as he parked, he grabbed my face and kissed and touched me from inside my shirt and pants. HE DID NOT once ask for my consent. I tried to pull away from him, but he still forced himself on me and kept asking me more than twice, "why are you pulling away?" I told him, "I don't want to do anything." He tried to convince me. I said, "NO." Then he had the audacity to ask me, "why?" All I said was, "I'm tired." Even though my second attacker stopped, he still violated my boundaries. After rejecting him multiple times, lying to me, and pulling away. He claimed that "he knew this was unwanted but did it anyway because he had nothing better to do." Afterward, he dropped me off at school. I couldn't keep it to myself anymore. I went to the bathroom so I could call my cousin. I started to cry and told her everything. My cousin attended the same college as me. She was the first person I told. Since she left, I needed to talk to someone on campus. I walked around campus, crying. I didn't know who to go to. People kept looking at me weirdly. That's when I ran into my friend. She took me to her dorm lobby. I told her everything as she comforted me through my panic attack. After 2 hours, I calmed down and went home. Once I got home, I went to bed and slept the entire day. The next morning, I had to tell my mom. I told her everything. There is so much more to the story. I wish I could say justice will be served, but this story ends differently. They got to walk free and still attend my old college, which left me no choice but to transfer. I couldn't stay without fearing that I would run into my attackers. None of this hasn't been easy. The legal process, being hospitalized, switching schools, and the pregnancy scare. My screaming as I held my advocate's hand during the medical examination will always haunt me. Every day after that was harder. I had to cut my long hair because of the flashbacks. I get nightmares. The panic feeling whenever I'm around a man. Feeling used and disgusting all the time. Not knowing how to be or have connections with people anymore. Some friendships not being the same because they rather keep their distance. My cousin not believing me. The reactions I received from people have really affected me. I have friends and many people who believe me and have been there for me. But some reactions from my own family shocked and surprised me. Their response was almost as bad as the assault itself. I'm not the same person I used to be. I could never explain what I go through every day. 8 months later, my anxiety and depression have worsened, and now I have PTSD. I take it day by day. Some days are harder than other days. But I'm trying and working on myself. I'm in therapy, taking medication, and still going to school. I sometimes still feel like it was my fault. Sometimes I feel embarrassed that I was assaulted. What happened is such a huge burden to me. I've debated numerous times about sharing this because of the fear of being judged, but here I am.

I don't know what to call it, so I just act like it was no big deal. For whatever reason, I didn't really recognize what happened or remember it until a couple months back. I was on the school bus with a guy I liked, and we had talked about dating once he was allowed to. I had almost fallen asleep leaning against him and was just drifting in and out when I realized he had his hands on my thighs, which I kinda felt panicked about but figured I was overreacting. He then slid my shorts much further up my leg and kind of just felt up my thighs (under and outside) and felt me up I think (I don't know if that's the right term). I remember being so absolutely terrified of what was happening and I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to embarrass him or make a fool of myself, so I never brought it up. We ended up dating for almost 6 months about 4 months after this happened. We broke up when I recognized what it was but I never mentioned it to him, I don't even know if he remembers. I feel awful knowing I dated him after but keep thinking it was no big deal.

When I was 18 I was raped and physically assaulted by a friend of mine at the time. He was 3 years older than me and it was his 21st birthday. It took me a year to accept what happened, and 4 years to get help through counseling. I used to feel a lot of guilt for not getting help sooner and the way my trauma affected other people in my life/people I was in relationships with. I also hated and still sometimes hate the way it affects me 6 years later, but I’m learning that things don’t always go away on their own and it’s okay to reach out for help, no matter what stage you’re in or how long has passed. You will find people who love and believe you, and you’re more than worthy of that. They say skin completely regenerates every 7 years, so by this time next year I’ll have a body you’ve never touched, and that’s comforting.

I was 15 when I first started dating my former abuser, up until I had escaped him after I turned 18. I am happy to say it has been 5 years since I had escaped him, and the PTSD does not affect me as much as it used to anymore. I’ve found writing poetry allows me to express my emotions and work through the triggering memories. A poem I wrote to work through them is written below, it may be triggering to you so read it only if you feel comfortable with doing so. It is titled “Why Did She (I) Stay?”. If you have not heard it today, allow me to tell you this: you are strong, you are loved, you are amazing, you are a survivor. And you are not alone. You can thrive after abuse. 💜 “Why Did She (I) Stay?” June 8th, 2017, is a date I will never forget. Not only was it my first date with a boy, at the age of 15, it was the day that I unknowingly opened Pandora’s box, one that I naively unlocked. June 20th, 2017, we went bowling, he asked me to be his girlfriend, even though I was about to be 16 in a couple months, and he would be 18, a legal adult. The question left my head spinning like the ball thrown down the alley. I had no idea the bowling balls thrown would turn into punches being thrown, me being thrown- into walls, and crying over my brother’s death? Forget it, he didn’t allow me to cry at all. March 15th, 2018, I was left crying in a private bathroom stall, at school, because I had found out I was pregnant while simultaneously losing my child, a daughter who I would never meet, hear the sound of her little pattering feet, and I cried in defeat. That was the day I lost even more of me, and while telling him about everything, he slapped me- across the face, and attempted the gaslighting. I couldn’t tell any of his family or mine, otherwise he’d do worse than yell, and I’d be fighting for my life. I could relay every event of abuse I suffered through, but that would take so much time, from me and from you. Fast forward, to October 6th, 2019. He was 20, and I was freshly 18, about to graduate trade school, and earn my degree, but that day was when I decided enough was enough, and I attempted to flee. He threw my things, all over the bedroom, the bathroom, and into the toilet and tub, because then he would have nobody to control, I mean show false love. He beat me within inches of my life, and at that point, I had to make a decision that would cut me worse than a rusty knife making a deep incision. I bought myself time, 24 hours to be exact, by claiming I would stay with him, all so I could keep my life intact. October 7th, 2019, was my freedom day. That morning, I called my mom to say, “Is it okay if I move back home? He’s been beating me, and I know I’ll die if I stay.” That night, we drove out there to get my things, and on the way home, all I could think is let freedom fucking ring. September 18, 2023, was the day I came face to face with my abuser again. Set to testify in his custody hearing, I knew what needed to be done to end his controlling even with my anxiety flaring. As I entered the courthouse, I turned around- and stared at him with a look I can’t reenact, but if looks could kill, I would’ve sent a million bullets firing back. That was the day I took my power back. Knowing I had no fear in my eyes, and seeing all of the fear in his, that was truly the day I ceased being a victim and rose as a survivor. I went into that at 15 as a naive teenager, and walked out of that courthouse at 22 now, as a damn fighter. To anyone who believes that they are alone, dealing with this, one thing I will say: it is better to be able to come home alive, than having your loved ones grieving every day and asking “Why did she stay?”

A group of female tourists staying overnight at the building at Building Name, booked through booking.com, were disturbed at night by a man walking around the corridor drunk and wearing only his underwear, who then approached them. The fact that the group of girls supported each other and the man left is clearly a case of bad manners and a situation unbecoming of Poland. I don't think Poland is like this. If this man is just a stupid exception, please tell me, and please warn those staying in that building and those working there, because there was a clear attempt at perversion there.