One of the biggest problems for adult survivors is the issue of whether or not to report childhood abuse after such a long period of time

There have been successful prosecutions many years later if sufficient evidence is available (medical records etc) but generally the Crown Prosecution Service will take into account the abusers age and state of health and whether they are considered to be a danger to the public (eg abusing other children), the time elapsed, the cost of bringing the case to court and the likelhood of a successful prosecution.

Most survivors are advised by their counsellors/therapists that reporting the abuse can be a big help in gaining closure and can help immensely with the healing process.

For me the action of finally "telling a policeman" was a great relief and I could look my inner child in the eye and say "there, they know now and its all going to be ok"

I felt that I was also setting history straight by exposing the secret at long last plus a great relief that I no longer had the burden of carrying the secret!

Also I had taken back control and am now stronger for doing so

If you are affected by this issue please visit  http://www.napac.org.uk/  where you will find lots of information, help and support