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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think she has NO RIGHT to be angry at ME! **content warning: mentions child abuse**

69 replies

ChildOfALesserGod · 09/09/2023 14:15

A few years ago, I called my older sister (by 8 years) out on her then husband’s sexual harassment of me as a young teen - 12-13 years old. He would have been around 13 years old than me.

He was a disgusting letch who would put his hand out on for e.g a car seat or the sofa so he could grab my bum as I sat down, constantly making sexual references (asking I was wet down there) and even said he would like to pop my cherry in a conversation with my stepfather which my stepfather laughed at. I had no idea what that meant at that time but I clearly remember it due to the reference to cherry and popping it as it confused me as to how they can pop. BIL would often insist on giving me lifts and often would be at our house. My parents witnessed this behaviour. Nothing was ever said. BIL came from a very wealthy family, drove a massive posh car and my family were pretty overawed by him and his family,

Sister’s reaction at the time was to say for goods sake leave her alone and get annoyed with him. I don’t remember her ever saying anything to me about it. He later cheated on her and they’ve been divorced for years.

Anyway, I had a very abusive childhood, physical and horrendous psychological abuse mainly perpetrated by my mother, and about 10 years ago I confronted her about it, she admitted it but said I deserved it, refused to speak to me ever again and cut me, DH and my DC off as did siblings. At that time, one of things I brought up was my ex BILs behaviour and why nothing was done about it, having a teenage DD myself at that time it disgusted me. My mother described as harmless banter.

Sister had messaged me a few years ago saying she’ll try to forgive and forget for me upsetting our mother for bringing up the past and what I’d said about her ex. I said to the effect of you’re fucking joking, what do you need to forgive me for, I’m the one that needs to forgive you for letting your husband do what he did to me! She then blocked me.

Adult DD had recently tried to get in contact with her adult cousins, sister’s daughters, who have ignored her so she directly contacted my sister, her aunt, mostly because she was upset at not being invited to cousin’s wedding who she grew up with. Sister, DD’s aunt, ignored then blocked her.

AIBU to think sister is totally wrong to be angry at me, and by extension DD, for bringing up this behaviour which was allowed to go unchecked and my family of origin is completely fucked up?

Title edited by MNHQ to add a content warning

OP posts:
Longdarkcloud · 09/09/2023 16:26

May be your ex BIL abused his DC or perhapsyourS suspect she may have and S doesn’t want your DD opening a can of worms.
Best keep your distance until older family members pass on when the next generation might decide they want to renew relations

covid18 · 09/09/2023 16:28

I'm so sorry.

My Dad used to do that revolting putting his hand out so I sat on it thing to me as a child and I have never forgotten who disgusting that made me feel.

I then saw a (male) therapist when I was an adult who minimised it as 'creepy' (no, mate it's contact child sexual abuse which I know now as I work in safeguarding but didn't then).

She has no right to be angry at you but I know from experience that toxic families need a scapegoat.

I'm it in my family for speaking up about being abused by my brother.

Fuck them all to hell and back and well done for keeping your own DD safe just as I have with my DDs by going NC.

Capdontrecycle · 09/09/2023 16:28

I wouldn’t be surprised if the cousin getting married starts a thread, along the lines of

Cousin I haven’t seen or had contact with for years is “angry” that I haven’t invited them to my wedding

JSmithIloveyou · 09/09/2023 16:49

It's not too late to get some counselling.. reach out for it.
Block the whole lot of them and enjoy your own family.

ChildOfALesserGod · 09/09/2023 16:50

BiscuitsandPuffin · 09/09/2023 15:51

For FUCK'S sake if you are going to go into details of childhood sexual abuse comments made etc the LEAST you could do is add a trigger warning or a title that makes it clear. I didn't want to have to read that and have that in my brain in order to be able to report it. You're not the only one FFS.

Well I do apologise if I offended you so severely in repeating some words said to me as a child that you felt justified in posting that extremely rude post @BiscuitsandPuffin to a complete stranger. I didn’t think what I was describing was necessarily graphic enough to warrant a trigger warning but I stand corrected.

You could have just reported it yourself without all the swearing but obviously needed the attention. You’re not the only one either.

OP posts:
2jacqi · 09/09/2023 17:03

why the hell are you still in contact with any of them!!!! leave the family for your own peace of mind. ask your children to also not contact them either due to what they have and are still putting you through! totally toxic!

Merryoldgoat · 09/09/2023 17:07

You are of course not being unreasonable, but the reality is there’s no point expecting abusive people not to be abusive.

Your whole life these arsehole let you down. You should keep away, tell your children why you stay away and explain they are abusive and better off without them.

You need to completely detach from them all - they have nothing good to bring you.

wavws · 09/09/2023 17:07

Your whole family sounds like they have lax boundaries.

I don’t understand why your daughter expected to be invited to a wedding to people she doesn’t speak to - it doesn’t matter if they were close growing up. Any sort of friendship had fizzled out by the time of the wedding. It’s not a normal extended family set up here. Maybe in a conventional family, extended relatives that you haven’t spoken to in years still get wedding invites.

But here the divide was due to abuse and the relationship breakdown due to serious matters, so I wouldn’t expect an invite for the sake of it. For your daughter to then “confront” the bride and mother of the bride, knowing the circumstances, is ridiculous. No one is entitled to a wedding invitation.

Sigmama · 09/09/2023 17:08

You can't tell adult children not to have any contact, that's just unrealistic

continentallentil · 09/09/2023 17:09

I’m so sorry all that happened to you. Your sister is delusional.

However, if your DD knows more or less what happened then she must have known contact with that side of the family was unlikely so she shouldn’t have been surprised really. In this sense, your sister and her kids are entitled to block who they want (as anyone is).

I think no contact with her in anyway (including her kids) is better for you both.

I think you stay off your sisters feeds for your own sake.

MeAgainPeeps · 09/09/2023 17:10

You were a child. They should have protected you and the failed. They turned the other way and let it happen. You don't need to apologise for anything.

StaunchMomma · 09/09/2023 17:12

In their minds you're the trouble maker because you refused to take shit, that that they chose to turn a blind eye to, quietly. They're just not happy at being called out and that's usually because they know it to be true.

Fair play to you. You're better off without 'family' like that.

AcrossthePond55 · 09/09/2023 17:28

ChildOfALesserGod · 09/09/2023 15:59

She was angry and shocked that my sister blocked her without responding not that she wasn’t invited to the wedding. She wanted an answer as to why her cousins had ignored the occasional messages she’d sent them trying to keep in touch over the years obviously due to sister’s influence.

I guess my thinking is does she know WHY they've all blocked her? The answer being that they've all taken side against you and with SiL. Totally wrong and disgusting, of course. But if your DD knew why they've done this, perhaps she'd be less likely to want to be in contact with them herself.

Your story to tell, of course. If you don't want to discuss it with DD, that's your prerogative.

YesAnotherName · 09/09/2023 17:29

Your DD doesn’t need them either.

It’s so hard when you want family, but your family are abusive. I don’t think it’s worth your DD inviting them into her life, her mind doesn’t work like their minds.

Capdontrecycle · 09/09/2023 17:47

Sigmama · 09/09/2023 17:08

You can't tell adult children not to have any contact, that's just unrealistic

Likewise this adult DD can’t force other adults to have contact with her

nor can she force adults to give her wedding invitations

Viviennemary · 09/09/2023 17:51

They don't want to face the truth. Just forget they exist and carry on with no contact. No good can come of trying to build a relationship with them. Too much gone on. You could try counselling to help you come to terms with what happened.

totallyadhd · 09/09/2023 17:52

Sorry to read this. Your family are treating you terribly, she is absolutely in the wrong and should feel awful for bringing that man into your life, when you were so young too, witnessing his bad behaviour and allowing it to continue. To then get mad at you for speaking the truth is absurd. It sounds like you and your child / children are better off without the lot of them!

MCOut · 09/09/2023 17:55

YANBU but tbh (I know you can’t control what she does but) if your DD knows why you don’t talk to them she shouldn’t have reached out. None of you need these people in your lives

MidnightOnceMore · 09/09/2023 17:59

ChildOfALesserGod · 09/09/2023 16:50

Well I do apologise if I offended you so severely in repeating some words said to me as a child that you felt justified in posting that extremely rude post @BiscuitsandPuffin to a complete stranger. I didn’t think what I was describing was necessarily graphic enough to warrant a trigger warning but I stand corrected.

You could have just reported it yourself without all the swearing but obviously needed the attention. You’re not the only one either.

I think you do need to take on board how shocking and upsetting your post is to people who experienced similar.

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