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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

I was raped but my husband doesn't believe me

27 replies

AmyP1990 · 04/05/2025 18:55

I was raped by an old friend who kept blackmailing me. He told my husband that we were having an affair but we categorically wasn't. This happened over a year ago and my husband has recently said that he doesn't believe me and that I have no proof of the "accusations" that I made. I am absolutely heartbroken. I have never given him a reason not to believe me. I blamed myself for what happened as I felt as though I was weak. Therapy and time has helped me to deal with this and now I don't know what to feel anymore. I feel as though nothing that I say will change how he feels and I just don't know what to do anymore.

OP posts:
DelphiniumBlue · 04/05/2025 18:57

If he doesn't believe you, then there's not enough left to rebuild the marriage really.
I'm sorry you've had to go through this after the trauma of being raped. Your husband clearly is not the man you hoped he'd be.

iwishihadaname · 04/05/2025 18:58

You have nothing to blame yourself for.

VexedofVirginiaWater · 04/05/2025 18:58

This is awful - he is awful. I honestly don't know how to advise you, but I couldn't stay with anyone who would do this - who would call me a liar about such a thing. What does he expect you to do/say? Have you any family to confide in? Can you ask him to leave at least temporarily, or can you stay somewhere else for a while.

pimplebum · 04/05/2025 18:59

Your husband is not the right man to help you heal from this trauma sadly

loropianalover · 04/05/2025 19:00

are you still in therapy OP? If not I would encourage you to go back so you can have some support working through this.

It sounds like the end of the relationship. Do you have family you could stay with, or money saved?

TipsyJoker · 04/05/2025 19:05

Speak to rape crisis and they can advise you best on how to deal with not being believed by your asshole of a husband. Sorry this happened to you. You don’t deserve any of it. Not all men but always a man.

BeNiceWhenItsFinished · 04/05/2025 19:08

Did you report your blackmailing rapist to the police?

AmyP1990 · 04/05/2025 19:08

He is the only person that I have confided in about this and I don't feel comfortable about speaking to people about it. Unfortunately my family live quite a distance away and as we have 2 children it is not an option as a short-term solution it would be a big move to move back in with my parents and change schools etc. I didnt find therapy helpful unfortunately as I felt as though I just had to keep reliving the trauma every time that I went. I feel as though this has just put me right back where I was when it happened.

OP posts:
Datafan55 · 04/05/2025 19:11

Nothing to add, but I am sorry that happened to you, and by an old friend, and that the only person you've confided in has let you down so badly.

But why do you have to leave? Can't he?

SocktopusEatsSocks · 04/05/2025 19:16

Hey OP. Have you considered contacting a rape crisis centre? They will believe you, and they will let you talk in whatever way you need, it doesn’t matter that it happened a while ago and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to (like report to the police if that’s not what you want) or talk about it at all pace that is too fast for you.

AmyP1990 · 04/05/2025 19:17

I did report it to the police but it was a couple of months after it had happened and they had no evidence to take things further. To be honest I feel as though the police have let me down massively as I have had no follow up support from anyone and I have since learnt that a previous partner had to have a restraining order against him and he was accused of raping a girl in a different country many years ago.

OP posts:
Lavender14 · 04/05/2025 19:28

I'm so sorry this happened to you op. You did nothing to deserve it and you have nothing to blame yourself for.

Therapy can work wonders, but it needs to be at a time when you're ready to engage with it and with the right therapist. I've tried a few times and with different therapists until I found one who I feel I'm actually making progress with. So it might be worth revisiting at a different point in time or with a different person until you feel safe and ready.

If this person is blackmailing you then op I think you really need to contact the police. At the very least to have it logged incase this person tries again to harm you or someone you care about.

I think your husband may be reacting the way he is for a number of reasons but ultimately none of those reasons are a good excuse and I agree with the pp who has said that he's not the right person to support you with this. In fact I'd say that his reaction has probably caused irreversible harm to your marriage and that may well only grow with time when you feel stronger and have processed the trauma of this more.

I think you need to contact police, a rape crisis centre, and I personally would ask him to leave when you feel ready. You deserve better than this from him.

Financially would you feel able to manage on your own or could this be something you can work towards? You don't need to make any decisions right this minute so you have time to talk to the likes of citizens advice about entitlements and take your time to weigh up your options.

I do think reporting this to the police is very, very important op. I know it may not lead to any kind of 'justice' as we would like to hope it would, but it means you've put him on their radar and he's not been allowed to just continue living his life with no consequence. If other women have had similar experiences then it may be that what you report fills in the gaps.

Justfreedom · 04/05/2025 19:29

AmyP1990 · 04/05/2025 19:17

I did report it to the police but it was a couple of months after it had happened and they had no evidence to take things further. To be honest I feel as though the police have let me down massively as I have had no follow up support from anyone and I have since learnt that a previous partner had to have a restraining order against him and he was accused of raping a girl in a different country many years ago.

You need to go back to the police.

Lavender14 · 04/05/2025 19:29

Sorry just read your update about the police report. Fair play to you for doing that I'm sure it took a lot of strength.

ExpressCheckout · 04/05/2025 19:33

@AmyP1990 please see below, presuming you're in the UK.

https://rapecrisis.org.uk/find-a-centre/

God bless and take care

ChandrilanDiscoDroid · 04/05/2025 20:51

Justfreedom · 04/05/2025 19:29

You need to go back to the police.

And do what? Stamp her foot? People are awfully highhanded and pushy about going to the police about rape and sexual assault when they have absolutely zero experience of doing it or living with the consequences of doing it.

It is entirely up to the victim of a sexual assault whether they go the police or not. Their only responsibility is to themselves and their own recovery.

Moonlightfrog · 04/05/2025 21:03

Sorry you have been through this OP. We believe you and so should your husband. Yes there’s no proof but your husband should believe you over the rapist and he should be supporting you.

I have been in a similar situation and felt no one believed me including the police (the interview prices is truly awful), like you my case went no further due to lack of evidence and it being my word against his. I recently found out that he has abused a child 😞. I’m just starting therapy now…..9 years later because I have PTSD, I wasn’t offered any support at the time other than a single counselling session through my GP and rape crisis.

MiloMinderbinder925 · 04/05/2025 21:15

You can contact The Survivor's Trust, they have a free and confidential helpline, if you want to talk it over.

What does your husband want to do?

AmyP1990 · 04/05/2025 21:24

MiloMinderbinder925 · 04/05/2025 21:15

You can contact The Survivor's Trust, they have a free and confidential helpline, if you want to talk it over.

What does your husband want to do?

I have no idea what he wants to do or what he expects me to do. He doesn't talk to me and that is the problem. When I try to talk to him about things he just tells me to leave him alone. I don't even get any acknowledgement from him at the moment, just silent treatment. I feel as though I can't say or do anything right and he really is making me feel as though I am in the wrong in all of this.

OP posts:
Lorlorlorikeet · 04/05/2025 21:38

You were raped, the police failed you and now your husband is abusing you for it.

Words cannot express how angry I am at the injustice you’re dealing with, nor how sorry I am that this has happened.

MiloMinderbinder925 · 04/05/2025 21:43

AmyP1990 · 04/05/2025 21:24

I have no idea what he wants to do or what he expects me to do. He doesn't talk to me and that is the problem. When I try to talk to him about things he just tells me to leave him alone. I don't even get any acknowledgement from him at the moment, just silent treatment. I feel as though I can't say or do anything right and he really is making me feel as though I am in the wrong in all of this.

Does he usually handle conflict like this?

There's nothing you can do about how he feels or how he's behaving. You can control what you do though.

Look after yourself, get some support and research separation.

Sunshineandgrapefruit · 04/05/2025 21:54

Firstly I am so sorry this has happened to you. I believe you. So should your husband. Without question. You need to leave. You can't stay with someone who doesn't have your back. It's fundamental to the relationship and he has badly let you down and you deserve better.

TipsyJoker · 04/05/2025 22:04

Contact women’s aid to get support to make an exit plan from your abusive marriage.

ThreeLocusts · 04/05/2025 22:04

Lorlorlorikeet · 04/05/2025 21:38

You were raped, the police failed you and now your husband is abusing you for it.

Words cannot express how angry I am at the injustice you’re dealing with, nor how sorry I am that this has happened.

This. I'm so very sorry OP. It's going to be hard as you can't explain to people what happened, but I think you really will be better off separated. All the best.

Rosemary61 · 04/05/2025 22:47

I am so so sorry that this happened to you. You cannot stay with this man. You will never be able to heal. You deserve so much more. Please get yourself some professional help and get out of this awful, abusive relationship x

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