By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A 44-year-old woman says she is still healing from the childhood trauma of her uncle entering her bedroom every night to finger, grope, and force himself on her, while her mother turned a blind eye in exchange for money.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Tribune in an emotional interview yesterday that she felt herself reliving the pain after hearing mothers are still actively prostituting their daughters in the country. Last week, Minister of Social Services Myles Laroda said the ministry had observed a rise in cases of mothers prostituting their daughters — some as young as 14 — in exchange for money to pay household bills.

Now a mother herself, the victim said she would never let her children endure the abuse she suffered from ages 9 to 18.

“This abuse was happening every night. As long as my period wasn’t on, it was happening every night,” she said in a shaking voice.

“I feel worse than a cheap cloth,” she said, describing the past pain. 

“You carry this child for seven to nine months, you feel pain for this child – and you put her on display just for the sake of a couple of dollars.”

The victim said her mother’s brother constantly molested her. Despite her cries for help, her mother never acted and dismissed the abuse. As a teenager, she spent days being stripped naked and beaten as punishment for trying to speak out. She said she told other family members about the abuse, only to later find out her uncle had sexually abused them too.

Growing up, she lived with her younger sister, mother, and uncle.

Although her parents were separated, her father ensured household bills were paid so they could live comfortably.

The victim believes her mother’s past drinking and gambling problems led her to accept money from her uncle to indulge those habits. She believes her uncle was paying her mother to sexually abuse her.

“At the age of 16, my uncle inserted his penis in me,” she said. “Shortly afterwards, I can’t remember the day, but I know that Friday when he got paid – my mom had money in her hand.”

Years of sexual abuse led her to run away from home several times, attempt suicide, and struggle mentally.

She said she could not bear to tell her father about the abuse because she knew he would have been outraged.

However, she eventually found the courage to speak out to some of her father’s relatives, who helped her.

At one point, she lived with her grandmother for a month. After her uncle stopped giving her mother money, her mother quickly brought her back home, restarting the cycle of abuse.

When asked if she sought help outside her family, she said she reported her uncle to Social Services.

When officials visited her home, she said her mother downplayed the situation and told them she was just “acting out.”

The victim said since accepting Christ into her life, she has been able to forgive her mother and that they now have a good relationship.

In her community work, she has counselled other young girls who have been prostituted by their mothers.

She said she also knew other girls growing up who were going through the same abuse. She called on mothers to protect their children rather than put them in danger.

Charlemae Fernander, director of Social Services, said sadly this form of child abuse is not new to the country. Ms Fernander highlighted that boys are also prostituted by their own parents. She added that many people hesitate to report cases because they lack proof of abuse.

“A lot of boys are victims of sexual abuse, and they’re a lot less likely to report it because of shame,” she said.

She continued: “I think child protection is everybody’s responsibility. That’s what I want the public to know. Whether it’s in your household or your family, or you even believe or suspect something is happening, you have a responsibility to report the matter.”