The Telford abuse scandal is an ongoing problem being investigated by authorities in the United Kingdom with many of its victims recently coming forward, concealing their true identities, to share their horrific stories.  According to recent reports, which some say are sensationalized, so far, authorities have discovered that pedophiles in England had abused up to 1,000 girls, some as young as eleven years old, over four decades.  The victims allegedly were taken from their families after being drugged and beaten, and mandated reporters, such as teachers, mental health providers, and social workers were apparently aware of what was happening and did not come forward.A recent victim, identified only as Jennifer, said she was raped by at least 500 men starting at the age of eleven.  She went to authorities, but they refused to help and even arrested her on multiple occasions for prostitution.She said, “When I told the police, they told me I’d chosen my lifestyle.  I asked to make a statement because I’d been raped and beaten by so many men and I wanted it to stop.  An officer said, ‘You’re a common prostitute.  Don’t you think that comes with the job?’  He said a jury would never believe I was a victim of abuse.  I know it wasn’t my fault, but I feel guilty about girls who were abused.”

Photo by Lorna Scubelek on Unsplash

The abuse only stopped when Jennifer got the courage to flee to a relative’s home hundreds of miles away.  By that time, she already had criminal record, being convicted 52 times of various offenses.  Each time she came forward, it seemed, authorities would put the blame on her.Another victim, Holly, recounted four years of repeatedly being raped by the gang beginning at age 14.  She also said authorities did nothing to stop the abuse.Holly said, ‘I was abused from the ages of 14 to18.  My abuse started with boys my own age, who went on to sell my phone number to older men.  And from there it was just a whirlwind of rape every day basically.  I was going into the doctors and the youth sexual health clinic to get the morning after pill, probably twice a week, and nobody even questioned anything.” She added, “I had two abortions, still nothing was said to me.  I was in cars that were stopped by the police and they asked me no questions of why I was there with a much older man.  It got to the point where I tried to commit suicide, and still nobody asked me any questions about what was going on in my life and why I was reacting the way I was reacting.”Holly said the abusers told her they would rape her family members and burn down their house if she said anything.  So, it continued and, feeling as if no one would listen, she kept quiet.She said, “I tried to commit suicide.  People say, ‘was it a cry for help?’  I say no, I genuinely wanted to die because it was the only way out…If somebody had shown an interest or asked some questions it may have made me speak out.”The investigation into the scandal continues as more victims are coming forward.

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Victim of Telford abuse scandal says she was raped by over 500 menTelford victim says she was sold for sex by abusers every day for four years - and no one helped herTelford child sexual exploitation scandal