< Translator’s note: The original formatting of the stories has been preserved. The translations aim to remain as close as possible to each author's original wording and expression.

 

Hi. I want to tell my story. I don’t remember much, because my childhood memories are “locked away.” I will try to recall something, as it is very important to me. I was five or six years old. We had a two-bedroom apartment, but had five people living there, and I slept with my grandfather in one bed.

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One evening, I could fall asleep, just lay with my eyes shut. Then, he took out his penis and started masturbating with my hand. Next, he took my underwear off, turned me over, and wanted to push it inside me, trying to do so for several minutes. I pretended to wake up because I got scared.

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I never told anybody, but recently I have told my therapist and my boyfriend, cause I could no longer keep it inside. Result — I don’t enjoy sex. I get aroused only to the thought of being raped or murdered. I don’t know how to live…

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Lesia; story shared in 2022 as part of the campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.”