Names and other details have been changed to protect identities

HOLLY'S STORY

He told me he loved me but I realised it wasn’t true...

 

 “When I was 13, things at home were quite busy; there were often lots of friends, family and strangers visiting and we all smoked cannabis.

One of the male visitors, Dave, started to pay me attention and compliment me on how I looked. This made me feel really special, ‘cos I felt really down and lonely, I didn’t have many friends.

He’d buy me presents and take me places, call me every day, sometimes three to four times a day and he’d be texting me all the time. Things were good, he told me he loved me.

After a while, he said as he’d been nice to me, he wanted me to be nice to him in return.

He and his friends wanted me to have sex with them. He told me he loved me again and again and that doing things to him and his friends would make him happy and if I loved him too I’d do it.

He told lots of lies and the group were older than me and had more influence and made me feel like it was my fault. So I went along with what they asked.

As a result of being ‘nice’ to his friends, I got pregnant but I lost the baby. This made me feel even worse, like I deserved it and I didn’t see a way out. I didn’t trust anyone and experienced a panic attacks when I left home to go to college.

Through college, I took part the National Citizen Service Programme (which I loved taking part in, made me feel good) and got talking to a youth worker from Catch 22.

She was nice and for the first time ever I felt I could trust someone. I told her my story, she believed me and told me it wasn’t my fault. We reported the abuse to the police.

She supported me and spoke with me about keeping safe, friendships and relationships, internet safety and about options for my future.

Thanks to Catch 22, I’m now dealing with my panic attacks and my drug use is under control. I no longer see Dave.

My self-confidence is better, I’ve signed up as a National Citizen Service ambassador to tell other young people about the benefits of taking part.

I’ve even taken up my old hobbies of singing and dancing. Life is good again.”