Aimee's fundraiser for 'One in Four'

In light of April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I am launching a project in order to engender serious and much-needed change. Recent events have emphasised the prevalence of sexual abuse in modern society and have made many people realise that it is a genuine crisis. As one would approach any other crisis, we need to devote time, energy, thought and money to solving it.

Sexual abuse is unique in that it is usually only witnessed by the victim and the perpetrator - this makes it difficult for victims to come forward as they feel they cannot ‘prove’ what happened. Consequently, we must ensure that victim-survivors know that they are heard, believed and valued.

I am a victim-survivor of sexual abuse. The perpetrator went to prison. Despite the ongoing support of my amazing family, friends and the police, I have struggled to openly acknowledge my victimhood. It has always been my ‘biggest secret’ and something that I was deeply ashamed of.  

My main aim is to break the stigma around the topic of sexual abuse. We must change the narrative. Victims are always guiltless and never have anything to do with the perpetrator’s crime. In my experience, the fact that the nature of the crime is ‘sexual’ has made it very difficult to speak about. I have been worried about people thinking I was ‘dirty’ or ‘asking for it’. The horrifying truth is that sex offenders thrive off their victims’ shame. 

Following on from this, abusers are currently protected by the fact that they believe they will get away with their crimes. And they often do. So, education and conversations about sexual abuse are crucial in order to make sure we do not insulate these criminals through our silence. 

Together, we can put an end to this tragedy. I refuse to adopt the attitude of ‘it’s too big of an issue to solve’. We must not be complacent: it is not fair on the millions of people who endure the effects of sexual abuse everyday. 

In September, I am going to run a half-marathon (21km) in aid of One in Four,  a charity which supports people who have survived child sexual abuse (CSA). Its name is drawn from the statistic that one in four people will have experienced sexual abuse by the age of 18. This charity understands the potential long-term impacts of sexual abuse on a survivor’s mental and physical health; it is therefore committed to empowering survivors to overcome the trauma of CSA. 

If you would kindly like to sponsor my half-marathon and donate to this incredible charity, please use the link on this page. Any donation, no matter how big or small, will provide vital support to those who need it most.  

This project is dedicated to my 7-year-old self who could not have fathomed discussing this openly and to every single person who has survived sexual abuse. We see you, we hear you, we believe you.