child sexual abuse seems to come up in the news more when I am feeling fragile

[NeverKnowinglyUnderstood]

I have had 3 years getting my head round the thought that as a child I held no responsibility for the being raped.
I have been reprogramming my self loathing

generally feeling anxty at the moment and then to hear a judge saying that a 13 year old was predatory and there was nothing the man could do to avoid abusing her makes me feel the adrenalin rush round my body, I am exhausted from being in fight or flight for most of the day.

ARGHH!!

I couldn't believe the barrister and the Judge called this child "predatory" and had to wind back the TV as I was sure I must have misheard. It is absolutely outrageous. I am sure there will be a backlash. The adversarial system we have in this country is so wrong in these cases, because the barrister for the defendant has to cross examine the witnesses, and of course they just want to win their case. I would have thought any barrister making such a comment would lose credibility with the judge, but the bloody judge agreed. Horrendous.

I am sure this would have upset you so much, given your own experience in childhood. I wasn't sure what you meant by "reprogramming your self loathing" - I hope you have been able to access therapy for the trauma you suffered. There is a particular type of therapy (called EMDR) you can goggle it cus I forget what the letters stand for. Other MNs who were sexually abused in childhood speak very highly of this therapy. Apparently you don't have to go through all the painful stuff like you do with in some kinds of therapies, but apparently it is very successful for dealing with PTSD after childhood trauma.

All that I've heard is the barrister can't take any more sexual abuse cases until he has had further training.............training FFS - he should lose his job. There will I'm sure be an appeal by the CPS about the lenient sentence given to the defendant.

I wonder about some of these Judges. Another one recently gave that Stuart Hall 15 mths for sexually abusing girls (one as young as 9) but CPS appealed and the Judge doubled the sentence. Still not long enough.