What tore them apart was Felts himself, who, following church services one Sunday, realized he couldn’t reconcile his love with his faith.

In their defence, they couldn’t have prevented it. Not before it happened anyway. They couldn’t have known that they shouldn’t leave me alone downstairs while they chatted happily just several metres away. They couldn’t have known that they should have told me from a young age to “scream for help and run if someone touches you here or here“. And for that, I’ve never blamed them. He went silent for a moment, staring at the TV screen. Minutes passed before he offered the same thing again. Again, I declined. This time, my gut feeling warned me. He could still walk properly, but why did he suddenly want me alone with him in his bedroom? we never saw my 3 cousins when we were growing up, and I now know why - he used to abuse my female cousin too, but she told her mum and even my parents (shes 6 years older than me) to stop anything from happening to me - her mum removed her from his presence - mine did not. I feel very alone as my dad isn't interested (it was his dad) and my mum just makes me feel guilty by saying that she did have a few 'words' but because I didn't say anything to her again she thought it had stopped. therefore the abuse carried on.I was abused too by the father of my father. A story very similar to yours. Since I was 5, that's as early as I remember, until I was 10. I also felt uncomfortable and told my mother, who said: "You must have misunderstood him". It wasn't that she didn't care, just that it was impossible for her to imagine something like that happening in her own house. I recently found this subreddit and after reading through a bunch of posts wanted to try sharing one my own stories. Sometimes it’s a silent one, not because they are unafraid, but because they are confused, unaware, and simply just don’t know any better. Image Credit: Huffington Post It didn’t happen in an alleyway, or in a sleazy motel room. Not even in my own bedroom. It was in a dusty half-lit store pantry on the ground floor of my grandfather’s house. With about 9 other relatives on the first floor. It happened when I wasn’t alone.

I remember my grandpa would always give me money secretly and always said, 'don't tell your mum or your brother' he would always inappropriately touch me and show himself to me, many times I cant even pin point one. Is more understandable your father if he cant think his father as pedophile of her daughter but I see a lot of "I dont want know" in this story. I am not writing this to disclose my family’s shame. Consider this another example why it is never that easy. I even had to change my name in this story. Eventually, he intimate encounters with other men, but he never spoke of them, because in the 1950s and ‘60s, it seemed impossible for him to do so. Even when I assured her I would not be long, she refused to let go. I had to wait until she calmed down and then promised her again. Despite keeping my word that night, I sensed her oddity.If you came out, it really would cost you — your family, your job, all of your relationships,” Felts explained. “You would immediately be called a pervert.” “A lot of them telling me that they've got more courage now to come out." Kenneth Felts / Facebook