Why I went public

Recently events that were private to me became public. I could have remained anonymous but chose to waive my anonymity. You may be wondering why.

1. To help others come forward. Whilst I cannot speak for everyone that has suffered abuse, I am sure many know the concerns about coming forward. Questions such as will I be believed, will I be put in more danger, will I be able to speak about it come to mind. Well I did speak up, was believed and have survived. I hope my story helps anyone in a similar situation see that it can be true of them also.

2. To help others come forward. I have no doubt in my mind that my abuser targeted others. In fact a week after he was jailed I was sent a message from a lady who lived around the corner from him telling me he had been showing an interest in her 9 year old son literally weeks before his trial. I would really like to hear from anyone affected by Gary Moscrop so the world can see what sort of person he is.

3. To help my family understand. My family had no idea of what I went through during my childhood, in fact they probably still don’t. I would be willing to tell them now since the trial is over however at this time most of my family choose not to speak with me. They are Jehovah’s Witnesses and I am no longer one and for this reason a JW is not allowed to speak to an ex JW, not even a close relative. The trial and subsequent conviction though will at least give them an idea of the torture I endured for 5 years, robbing me of my childhood, innocence and happiness.

4. To help Jehovah’s Witnesses see the truth. I was told when I was a JW that I was living in a spiritual paradise and could look forward to happier times when everyone alive serves the one god. Well even the sun sets in paradise and for many it does not rise again. The truth is that The Watchtower Society operates in so much secrecy that it hurts their followers, yet it protects paedophiles. I had been made to believe that my situation was a one off and today JWs deal with child abuse differently, however this is not true. I was told that the elders would deal with things properly when it came to Gary, however when the police approached the elders they refused to cooperate. This happens the world over time and again. If they cannot protect innocent children, how do you think they handle other matters?

5. I no longer have to hide. I am free to live my life without shame or having to hide who I am. I do not want sympathy, I just want to enjoy what few times I can with my friends and children. I am no longer anxious about whether my abuser will die an old man before the law has dealt with him. I know that there is one more threat to children taken off the streets. I know I did all I could despite the time delay. It may have cost me dearly but you cannot put a price on happiness.

6. This is not one of the reasons I thought of, it is as a result of a conversation I had today. A colleague I used to work beside was looking for some motivational speeches and remembered I used to have some on my website. She went online and stumbled across my story and lifted the phone to tell me that it gave her the motivation she was looking for in her business life. If me being public about my childhood has this affect, then I am happy to have helped!

🙂