About girls and women not telling after they're attacked

[MineralMan]

41. I had a friend in college, when I was just 19 years old.

We used to sit around in the common room at the dorm and talk. For one reason or another, we were never in any kind of romantic relationship. One day, she told me that her stepfather had molested her for several years, beginning at age 12. I listened. She let it all come out. She told me later that she had never told anyone about that before.

We remained friends for years. We never did develop anything other than a friendly relationship, but she always talked to me about issues related to that sexual abuse. I listened. Perhaps that was the role I was meant to play with that person.

Eventually, she married a Methodist minister and I lost touch with her. Last year, I did a Google search for her, and discovered that she had died a couple of years earlier.

I hope my listening helped her deal with what had happened. I don't know. I was glad she felt she could trust me with her story, though.