Two survivors of childhood sexual abuse delivered powerful testimonies Tuesday night, revealing how abuse, disbelief and institutional failures can follow victims long into adulthood.

The women spoke during the National Child Protection Town Hall Meeting hosted by the Ministry of Social and Urban Transformation at the John E. St. Luce Finance and Conference Centre.

The identity of one survivor was withheld to protect her privacy.

Now 28, she said she was six years old when her father began sexually abusing her. The abuse continued for years, and she became pregnant at 15.

She recalled being a withdrawn child in primary school but said no one recognized that something was wrong. When she eventually disclosed the abuse to a secondary-school counsellor, police were contacted, and she was removed from the family home.

However, she said her father was allowed to visit her only days later and frightened her with stories about what happened to children in residential homes. At 11 years old, she recanted her allegation and was returned home, where the abuse resumed.

She later reported the abuse again but said there was still no lasting intervention. Her mother eventually forced her out of the home while she was pregnant.

The survivor said her mother accused her of trying to take her partner, while other relatives refused to believe that her father could have abused her.

She credited social workers, Mustard Seed Ministries and educators, including Ottos Comprehensive School Principal Forster Roberts, with helping her return to school and obtain four subjects while raising her child.

Although her father was eventually convicted and imprisoned following DNA evidence obtained through child-support proceedings, she said police failed to communicate adequately with her during the investigation.

The second survivor, Ashanti, said she was abused over approximately 10 years and nearly took her own life when she was 15.

She challenged the belief that abuse happens only to children from poor or unstable families, explaining that she came from what was regarded as a respectable and secure household.

“My home was safe and happy, and it happened anyway,” she told the meeting.

Ashanti said relatives, neighbours and members of the church community knew or suspected what was happening but failed to protect her. She also recalled being accused of wanting her mother’s partner.

Now 36, an entrepreneur and mother of two sons, Ashanti said the trauma continued to affect her decades after the abuse ended.

She said survivors must still work, raise children and meet their responsibilities while coping with depression, post-traumatic stress and other emotional consequences.

Both women urged adults to believe children, listen carefully when they disclose abuse and provide survivors with support beyond childhood.

The first survivor called for young people leaving residential care to receive assistance with employment, financial management, housing and independent living.

Their testimonies moved members of the audience and Minister Rawdon Turner, who praised both women for speaking publicly about experiences many survivors remain afraid to disclose.

“If we save one child, we would have made a difference,” Turner said.