Sexual assault if not a joke, what kind of a person would treat it as such?

Having been a victim of sexually assault as a child I have never thought of it as something to make a game or joke of. I have siblings who were victims, a child who was a victim and numerous friends who also suffered through victimization. The horror of sexual assault is a life long struggle toward recovery. Most victims have relapses of mental trauma the rest of their lives. The living with the assault is quite often more, or as devastating as the assault itself, was initially. The telling of the assault to the authorities, your parents, the courts, your friends or anyone that can help you is like being assaulted over and over again. You are the victim but many times you are treated like the perpetrator, as a co participant, asking for it or not believed. Many times the victim is not brave enough to report in the first place, then they are not believed by the people that are supposed to help them or believe in them. The whole ordeal is never pleasant even in the best of situations. It is a life changing any and all times.

I had the privilege of belonging to the local helpline in the early 2000's. I truly enjoyed being part of a wonderful group of loving woman. Our local chapter did not allow men, their were a lot of recovering victims that could not feel comfortable in situations with men so the group had no men. I had a great opportunity to be sent, by the group, to attend the Victims Advocate Certification Program, basic and advanced, for the State of Montana. Mike McGrath honored me with a plaque for my training at the end of the program at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, the same place I took my basic and advanced dispatcher training. It was a wonderful experience and was in many ways a healing process in my life. I returned home to the Helpline with a new appreciation for victims, I had been given so many new tools to help victims, I had learned how to help myself. I for the first time, even though I had been through the local helpline training a couple of times, we did it yearly to induct new members, knew I was not responsible. I was a victim. I was on my way to healing after 30 years. That year I took on the role of sexual assault trainer for the helpline program. I made it about role playing and was able to role play my own assault as part of the training. I was at last no longer in fear, and for the first time in 30 years was able to put my assault behind me. I was given a new strength and the aside was that I taught advocates on a real level what victim experienced even years, many years later. I truly was able to embrace my assault and know that God had allowed it for a purpose, it is and was a part of my life and it helped make me who I am. A hard place to get to in your life, and I wouldn't wish it on any one. It is a life lesson, and now that is all it was, a long road to get there.

I have gone through Foster Care training, and held a foster care license for many years, I learned many valuable insights into the trauma that a child endures being a victim of sexual assault. I have a child, one child, that was assaulted by a family friend. I did not know about the assault when it occurred. I learned of the assaults a number of years later. I had had a gut feeling, that I did not investigate, and that will be a cross I will bear the rest of my life and sadly so does my child. I have said before I never make the same mistake twice. I no longer assume anything when a child is concerned. I never allow my child into a situation that puts them into danger. I would rather error on the side of safety, and my child not get to do something, than put them at risk. I have learned, of late, that woman can be the victimizer, in my heart I knew that but it is rare so wasn't as diligent as I should have been, but when I got that gut feeling I reacted and protected my children. I am raising whole healthy kids, I will not put my children through what my older child endured if I can help it.

I want to ask, with all that is mind, why would anyone make a false report about a child being sexually assaulted? Who would try and make a child that isn't a victim have to endure the scrutiny that comes with that kind of report? Why would any one believe I would know about a child being assaulted and hide the fact? I reported my own child to CPS, to protect my grand children, so why would I not do it again? I had to pray and pray when I was told that my house had been reported to have had a sexual assault, I didn't report it and further more I condoned it and covered it up. I find it pathetic that anyone would be such a perverse sort of human being that a report like this would be acceptable. I do know that the person making the report is not a Christian, the person making the report is a sick mentally disturbed and dangerous person. This person has also made many other reports, to any agency that will take a report, which unfortunately they all have to, much like a person grasping at any straw they can find, to further their sick agenda. I am thankful, that my many years in the community and my character came to my rescue. People in a small town see you for who you are, they get to know you and your values. They vett you and know when God lives in your life so know when out and out lies are told about you. I am really sorry for the people that this person, the vicious false reporter, fools in their life. I do know that there is a purpose for all in this life, maybe some people are just meant to teach us how precious our lives are and show us that a life lived in true rejection of the Lord is a truly sad existence. I have no real idea why people do what they do but I do know God will reward us accordingly for the lives we live.... tomorrow.