Peter's experience
I was taken into care as a young child into the mid-1960s, after my dad died. My parents were from a well known traveller family from the Tayside area, and my childhood was torn apart. Being in care, back then, times were very harsh for lots of children. You didn’t need much reason in those days to be taken into care, if you were from a travelling family. None of us were abused by my parents, though my mum had an alcohol problem. They would just “raid” gypsy traveller camps back then, and take children into care: it was classed as child neglect.
Discrimination
There was a lot more poverty then, and a lot of discrimination against traveller families. In social work practice in the 50s and 60s, there were a lot of unsatisfactory things going on, and there was no vetting of staff. I was sexually abused in a foster home, then I went into two children’s homes and a boys’ home later. But I was not able to recover. It was not even just the sexual abuse, but also the rejection and the physical beatings over a long period. Then learning about my real Dad who had died, which was the subject of a police inquiry, and learning of the love he had for us all - then my sister dying in care - this was all quite traumatic on top of everything else for all of us.
Seeking help is very important
It has taken years to find out who I was, and where I came from. A lot of historical inquiries are going on now, and if you or a family member was abused, they have specialist teams established in Scotland and they research the files. I now know who my family are, and we are still being reunited.
Although it’s a very, very difficult process I would recommend other people who were in care to do it, to trust the police forces to investigate historical abuse because if you get a good police detective, it’s a miracle. Also, seeking help is very important. As a survivor, you have to keep going and keep going, and that’s what I did, it helped me. But some people do need counselling. If you’ve been sexually and physically abused, you need counselling, but also you need a group of friends with different backgrounds, to bring the “healing force” in. This is also what I have had.
Overcoming the past
What also helped me was being re-united, since 2007, with some members of my family, and asking the police to do their job. There isn’t an easy conclusion to the suffering my family endured, but to enable survivors to get on with their lives, the opportunity has to be there to overcome their past. And a lot of people from the care system think there’s no help available.
Survivors can move mountains
The other most important thing that helped me was method acting. I have done many jobs in my life, but that has been the most important. I would like to see more and more being in Scotland for survivors who can become singers, musicians, artists, whatever, because it’s particularly helpful. To explain: if you have feelings of depression, anger, violence etc and if you can get into the performing arts, it doesn’t matter who sees your anger or sadness, you are using it productively. You become more secure: you don’t need drugs. Knowing the truth now, and a lot of credit is due to Scottish police forces for that, I am more relaxed and confident: I feel reborn, reshaped and rediscovered
Child abuse must stop
My message? Children should NOT be abused, whether it’s 200 years ago, or one year ago. The slogan “Stop it Now” should mean now, and it’s crazy that people have not been able to stop child abuse and neglect in this country. Perhaps people should start listening.
I think something positive is taking place today, and that is a far greater openness in regard to the effects of prolonged sufferings of child abuse. I hope, in my lifetime, to see an end to child poverty and child abuse, including murder.
And I want the healing process to start so that other survivors can move mountains in the future, to overcome the scars of child abuse, and aim for their dreams.
