11/10/2025
I was 11, when I was sexually abused by my brother-in-law.
I went to visit my sister during summer breaks. She lived in Miami. I am from Colombia. I loved visiting her. I loved going to Petco and buying things for my dogs, and going to Walmart and buying art supplies for myself. But that all changed when my parents sent me there by myself. They lived at her in-laws house in a bedroom, so when I visited, we all slept in the same bed. For some reason her husband slept in the middle. Why did she allow her little sister to sleep next to her husband in the first place, is something I have begun to question now as an adult woman, and as I process my trauma. He’d put his hands under my clothes, and touch my private areas. I would pretended I was asleep, but I was just frozen. This happened a few times, in the weeks I stayed with them. I returned a few years later, this time they were living in their own studio. One bedroom, same thing, but now I was developed. He would grab my chest under the blanket so hard, it would hurt. I never told. I was raised by the moto kids are to be seen, and not heard. Years went by and he went to jail for drugs, and my sister moved back home with us. When he served his time and was going to come live with us, that’s when I mustered the courage to tell my mom.
My other sister was there, and she also told my mom he touched her inappropriately. We also heard he did the same to a family friend’s daughter. I pleaded with her to not allow him to move in with us. My mom said not tell anyone especially my dad, because my dad was going to kill him and then my dad would be in jail. She said she’d have a deadbolt installed on my bedroom door. Obviously she didn’t have my back, and perpetuated the silence. Coming out clean like this brought on panic attacks, amidst the domestic violence that my brother-in-law brought with him, fighting with my sister in our home. I left there when I was 22, and married a man that also abused me and even tried to kill my daughter and I. I broke free from him and he went to jail, but only served a small fraction of his sentence for good conduct. I eventually told my sister, because their daughter started harming herself and having severe mental health issues. I told them maybe he’s abusing her too! But again, it was brushed under the rug. I’m estranged from my mom, my sister, and of course him. I hope he dies a bitter death, and all his victims can find healing. Take care of your children, and don’t allow them to be accessible to perverts. Believe your children, and listen to them. I will one day tell my dad, because I know he would have protected me.
(Update) I wanted to clarify a couple of things about my story:
I didn’t grow up in the US. We don’t have things like 911, CPS, these things never go anywhere when you report it. So it doesn’t matter at this point. I did speak up for my niece but again I dont live there anymore so no authority to report. They took my niece to get evaluated and the psychiatrist said there was no indication of sexual abuse. I did my part. I can’t do anything else because I am estranged from the family.
So for the people saying I am letting my niece go through the same… I am not. I tried. For the people who said that as an 11 year old I should have known better and that I probably liked it and that’s why I kept coming back… are you for real? Those are the same words that prevent children from coming forward and telling someone. Those same words rang through my head all these years before I spoke up.
To everyone else that are so kind and sending me positive thoughts and healing: thank you. This is exactly what people like me need to hear.
You can help a child protect themselves from abusers, by gifting them a FREE Tell Somebody book! 📚 gofundme.com/GiveAFreeBook
Child abusers, please stop and seek therapy and God.
Parents, talk with and believe your children. ❤️
Survivors, seek therapy. 💪🏽
(To share your story of abuse, message me)
www.TellSomebodyToday.com
