About girls and women not telling after they're attacked

[mommymarine2003]

23. My daughter was molested.

She was 12 years old at the time. She was molested by our minister when she was at church youth group. There was a private room behind the pipe organ at the church, and he would take her there while his assistant would handle the other kids attending youth group. My husband and I did not find out about this until she was 22 and newly married. Her new husband told us. We knew something was wrong with our daughter, as her whole personality had changed. Looking back through the years when this was occurring, she had told me how uncomfortable she was babysitting his children and that his children seemed abnormally fascinated with sex (showed her where their dad's condoms were, wanted to touch her, etc).

You can't imagine how horrible we feel that we did not protect her from this man. We thought she was in a safe place - at church. Our daughter did see a sexual assault counselor once we knew, but so much damage had been done to her psyche; and we almost lost her in 2006. I have followed where this minister has gone throughout the years. I am more than willing to go to court, although the statute of limitations ended years ago. She would have to be ready to take on him and the church, and I don't think she could handle that.

Our 12-year-old daughter didn't know how to tell us even though we had a great relationship. She held it to herself all those years until it almost destroyed her. I hope that Dr. Ford gets some justice, even if Kavanaugh can't go to jail.