19/07/2025
"The Night That Stole My Innocence – A Message to Every Parent"
I was only 12.
Still in that tender age where the world feels safe, where family means protection, and where sleep comes easily, without fear. My parents, loving and trusting, sent me to stay with my cousin for the night. He was older. I looked up to him. I never thought that someone I laughed with, someone who shared my childhood games, could become the reason I carry pain even today.
That night, something was taken from me.
While I was asleep, something awful happened—something no child should ever experience.
When I woke up, I didn’t know how to describe the pain in my body… or the fear in my heart.
I didn’t understand it.
All I knew was that something was terribly wrong.
And the person who caused it… was lying next to me, like nothing had happened.
I was too scared to speak.
Too confused.
Too ashamed.
So, I buried it.
Buried the pain. Buried the truth. Buried the little child inside me who just wanted to feel safe again.
But silence is heavy.
It grows with you.
And now, years later, I’ve carried that silence far too long.
This is not just my story.
This could be any child’s story.
And that’s why I’m speaking now.
To every parent reading this:
Please don’t assume your child is safe just because they’re with family.
Please don’t send your children away without knowing exactly who they’re with.
Don’t ignore the little signs.
Don’t tell them to “be polite” or “not complain.”
And most importantly, teach them they can come to you with anything, without fear, without judgment.
My cousin stole a part of me I can never get back.
But he won’t steal my voice.
I am speaking now—not just for me, but for every child who never got the chance.
Protect your children. Believe them. Listen to them. Be their safe place.
Because one night of trust can lead to a lifetime of trauma.
And no child should ever have to carry that alone.