Is this strange or not?

My dm was 24 when l was born. All her brothers were younger and cool. They taught me to ride a bike, played football etc. But no way would l have been going on holidays alone with any one of them. It just wouldn't have happened. You know teachers cannot be alone with a child and yet these parents are allowing a man..yes a relative..to be on his own for a week with a child. No way! I wonder was your sister also abused and subsequently is not thinking straight. Most abuse is done by relatives.
Not only is it not good for the child but the uncle is being totally unwise as if the little one made an allegation he hasn't a leg to stand on.

Of course it’s weird. It’s fucking weird. You must speak to the parents and niece.

But you ARE pointing the finger by making this post. Imho the therapist is unethical to be making assumptions about someone they dont even know.

Its up to the parents to decide if its OK or not OK

I don't think that most 7-10 year olds are "travel company". So that would be odd in general. At that age, most kids l are quite dependent. At 11+, girls are almost tweens and their bodies are visibly developing as well. Many would have had their first period. For me that would be odd, most people would first invite a friend or BIL in those circumstances. Unless there's a drip feed where we are told that the holiday is to Disneyland or a theme park and DB feels self-conscious being there on their own. Did he go through similar childhood trauma?

Yes it's weird, and no, I wouldn't say it was weird if it was a middle aged woman (aunt) taking her 11 year old nephew (or niece) somewhere on holiday. You're deluded and naive, if you can't see why people are way more suspicious of a man than they are of a woman in a situation like this. As a pp said, it's a useless comparison! I bet you're the same kind of person who says 'I bet you wouldn't care if your husband was having lunch with a MAN!' when a poster is upset that her husband is taking female colleague to lunch.

@Sillyjumble YANBU at all, and I am sorry for what you've been through. I (fortunately) was not sexually abused as a child, but even I am a bit at this. Why does a middle aged man want to be with a small girl on holiday? I do think it's odd. It's very possible that it's innocent, (and I hope it is,) but even if it is innocent it's still bloody weird.

Over 90% of sex crimes are committed by men, so it's not a useful comparison.

My experience is the same as @Peakypolly . Our uncle would take my brother and I and my female on holiday. Sometimes together and sometimes individually. He was single, no kids of his own and just so lovely and caring to us and huge fun too. We would always go to special things - like the switch on of the Blackpool lights or carnival days at the seaside. My husband had a similar set up with an aunt who had much more time for him than his own parents.

He was such a lovely man and we were all bereft when he died.

I do hope all is as lovely as our experience for your niece and her uncle OP. I'm so very sorry you went through what you did.

Yeah , look this one of those threads that’s it’s impossible to advise because we’re behind screens, & really you need to know the people involved..
I hope there is nothing sinister going on OP x

Leave it to the professionals let her school know and or social services

Everyone saying it's weird - would you say the same if it was a male child? Or an aunt taking her nephew?

Why don't you tell her parents that your therapist thought it strange? Or if you don't want them to know you see a therapist, invent a friend who thinks it's strange. My own experience is similar to yours, so I am suspicious of all older male relatives.

I would be asking questions....

Where are the parents of the child in this though? Isn't it down to them? Rather than you to make sure she is safe? Do you have any reason not to trust their judgement because they must be giving her permission to go with him? Do they seem neglectful?

It's weird, and you know it.

What exactly are they doing together on holiday? What are the sleeping arrangements? Who else will be there. What do your niece's parents say/think about this?

Does your niece have lots of siblings and gets little attention from her parents and uncle steps in to provide her with nice times that parents arent providing maybe??

I voted YABU as I had a single uncle who took me on the most fantastic holidays as a child. He lived in the city (we were rural) and I went to amazing shows, exhibitions, restaurants (my first experiences of Chinese, Thai etc.) As I became a teen he took me to a few amazing further flung places.
Looking back I can see he would never have DC of his own. My sibling is 7 years older and he did the same with them.
We agree we both had some of our happiest times with him and are both so sad he died when I was 16/sib 22 and we didn't really get to know him as adults.
We are all formed by our existence and I can see why you feel the way you do but, from my point of view, if the Uncle is coming from the right place it can be amazing. My DH had a similar experience with a much older cousin who introduced him to loving nature and countryside crafts.
Hopefully speaking to your niece will reassure you.

I think it does feel odd because he’s a man, but would it feel odd for a 49 year old single woman to take her nephew or niece on holiday? Probably not, you would think that she just wanted to spend time with them as she hasn’t had children of her own.

However as most sexual abuse is committed by men, I think the therapist isn’t wrong to question it.