I was molested as a young child by a close relative. I knew without having to be told that if I said anything about it, I would be shamed as a trouble-making liar. Because such a dirty, twisted thing was simply not possible. It hurt like hell to know that I would be considered a perpetrator in my own abuse, and it hurts like hell to see this girl being given the same treatment.

I eventually found my way out of the purgatorial realm of the untold story. I got help, and disclosed the abuse to my family, who reacted with the same accusatory denial as I had suspected they would. But by this time, I had a support system, and friends in the same boat, and with their support, I was able to get past it. I hope and pray this girl from Pennsylvania finds these same priceless gifts.

So kudos and blessings to Joy, Kate, stickypaws, and the blametariat general. Special thanks to you, Twisty, for this whole blog. You are part of the miracle I lived without for too many years. You are using your voices just like you spozed to, to tell and tell and tell. Y’all rule.

…Nope. Not feeling it.

delphyne, when I said “it’s not relevant” I was not clear.

If this girl did put the pencil into herself, gripped it with her own hand, etc., it was CLEARLY NEVER her own idea. Some asshole told her to do it, and stood watching to make sure she did it. There was no way she thought it up on her own, or would have done it on her own.

He probably said, “If your mom finds out what you did, she’ll kill you.”
“If you have a baby, everyone will know what a slut you are.”
“No one will ever love you if they know.”

It’s almost worse if she held it herself under his “guidance” and “direction.” Because now I’m sure she’s blaming herself, and will for the rest of her already probably-ruined life.

I’m pretty sure I know (not exactly, but close enough in terms of empathy) how shitty it is and is going to be for this child. You know those scripts I wrote above, from the rapist? Other than the one about having a baby (I was too young), that is what my molesting cousin (25 years old to my 5) told me.

There is no way to sugarcoat or gloss over that this little girl had an unfathomably cruel experience and is not going to turn out all right.

It is relevant. It’s a massive assault on her body. I think the rapist did it, and she might be protecting him in some way. He was there when it happened. He’s the one person we know who is happy to physically assault this child’s body. The evidence points to him not her.

Maybe people don’t want to think how bad it possibly got for this girl.

And Australia does savage death island quite well, from red back spiders, funnel wed spiders, scorpions ( although , Jill, yours are bigger), dead in 3 minutes- jelly fish, man eating sharks, red bellied black snakes, , etc etc.

The gympie gympie stinging tree is not deadly but its neurotoxin remains active for years and is said to be so painful it that it drives some victims mad enough to try to cut off the affected limb. I can see where some blamers might be tempted to go with this…
Martha Maus