I Survived Intrafamilial Sexual Abuse. Here’s Why Shows Like The Family Secret Matter

It was empowering to watch Kath, a survivor of child sexual abuse, be heard, believed and validated on Channel 4’s The Family Secret. From the opening credits of Tuesday’s programme, Kath was in control of her own story, and in control of her quest for restorative justice. 

In the show, Kath told her story of being sexually abused by her brother Rob from the ages of seven to 11. She’s not alone – most child sexual abuse happens within the family, the old maxim that “an Englishman’s home is his castle” meaning perpetrators can act with impunity behind closed doors. 

I should know. Just like Kath, I too was sexually abused at home by a family member.

When I first spoke out to teachers and social workers I wasn’t believed. I was effectively silenced for years. When Kath first suggested that Rob, also a child, had abused her, her mother simply didn’t want to believe it. Like me, Kath was silenced, and a wall went up. She didn’t want to break her mother’s heart and she kept his secret to keep her family together. Children do lie, and they cover things up – just not in the way society tells you they do. I often feel frustrated that children are forced into this situation, and seeing that Kath had also been forced to cover things up made me feel less alone.