The world is watching the United Kingdom’s 2014 National Inquiry into Childhood Sexualized Abuse and Exploitation.
The world is watching as the magnitude of the crimes perpetrated since the 1970s are publicized and U.K. citizens experience confusion, frustration and betrayal.
The world is watching as the adult survivors explain over and over again, why such neglect and cruelty must never take place again in the United Kingdom or by British Citizens travelling to other Countries.
The world is watching as the U.K. Government, charged with the well-being and health of its' citizens, is being urged by survivors, advocates & service providers, to urgently release funding for appropriate and consistent support for survivors of childhood sexualized abuse and exploitation.
IF ONLY. IF ONLY. IF ONLY the Nation had been aware of what was happening to too many of its' children, then responsible adults, who happened to be around thirty years ago, would have demanded for the abuse and exploitation to stop. This is the sentiment which the vast majority of U.K. citizens bearing witness today would like to believe would have happened. For their peace-of-mind, they yearn today to hear this must be true.
As adult male survivors begin to share their stories and their knowledge becomes disseminated across localities and borders, the physical, psychological and social trauma to which children (under 18 year olds) were subjected, the adults lack of willingness to get involved to protect all the children and their desire at the time to believe it was someone else’s job to end the neglect, rape and torture of children, all seem eerily familiar to children being sexually abused and exploited in 2014. Today’s abused and exploited children recognize what their peers from 30 years ago were forced to endure: what was done to them and what they had to do to survive.
Yesterday’s abused and exploited children are now adults; survivors who recognize the voices of children who are being sexually abused and exploited today: what they are being forced to endure, what is being done to them and what they are having to do to survive. The compassion of adult survivors and their acute awareness that the horror has not ended for boys and male adolescents, has compelled them to do something; anything they are able with the skills they possess, to ensure that everyone knows clearly what is happening to children living today.
Awareness is a significant and powerful prevention tool. Knowing a huge wrongdoing took place and is still taking place today, is an important to motivate cultures to challenge the crime of sexualized abuse & exploitation being perpetrated and perpetuated by paedophiles, their accomplices and their protectors.
If we fail to stand up with survivors and demand change, if we fail the boys today, will those who survive have the will or benevolence to forgive us tomorrow.