Victims never ‘get over’ sex abuse

In grade school, I was sexually molested by a Catholic Priest. He was a Missionary Priest, who went from school to school and from boy to boy. As a frightened Altar Boy, I didn’t know what to do, or who to tell my story to. After all, he was a Priest.

The assault is still fresh in my mind. Not a week goes by that I don’t think about what happened. The pain, the humiliation, the self doubt. Now, at 88, I still wonder if I could have done anything at all to stop it.

The on-going news of former President Trump molesting E. Jean Carroll, brings back painful memories of my own molestation. The trial judge confirmed that Mr. Trump did rape Ms. Carroll. We are all aware that Mr. Trump, years earlier, bragged about his celebrity status that allowed him to grab and molest women.

Sexual assault or rape is not a little matter. It’s not something that happens and you get over it. No one gets over it. No one should ever get used to being degraded. America should not get “over it” either.

If you give your vote to a rapist, what does that say about you? What does that say about America?

Bernard J. Kleina

Wheaton