‘It’s so unthinkable’: the parents sexually abused by their children

UK support group says more women are seeking help for experiences that one mother calls ‘lifelong punishment’ “I never thought I would have to report my child to the police. And I would never have thought it would be for something so unthinkable,” said Lucy*, who was sexually assaulted in her sleep by her son, then in his early 20s, in their family home. He was convicted and given a community order but Lucy said she felt left to suffer in silence. She has not told her family because she felt “humiliated and embarrassed” by what happened. Despite her ordeal, she also feels uncomfortable about people thinking badly of her son. “I can’t make sense of it so I can’t expect anybody else to. It’s a torture. It’s lifelong punishment,” she said. “And there’s nothing out there to help you at all. I felt like I was the only person this had happened to.” Pegs, a social enterprise (the acronym is for parental education, growth, support) for people affected by child to parent abuse (CPA), said that while data on the issue was scarce, it had begun to notice a rise in parents seeking help for sexual abuse. In response, it surveyed 188 parents who approached it for hel