Abuse victims have human rights too

I would like to respond to the article “Lawyer: Ed Horne should enjoy basic human rights, (Nunatsiaq News, January 28, 2000).

I will try and make my point in terms of getting a few things straight that I feel should be implemented and put into action by our hierarchy and leaders. I’ve always felts that I should enjoy my basic human rights too in terms of getting proper help and counselling for the mistreatment I had experienced when I was a child. I am one of many child sexual abuse survivors.

To my knowledge, there has never been a single person in my community who specializes in treating child sexual abuse survivors. Don’t tell me that the overloaded, under-paid social workers are there for me. They have a crisis they have to deal with almost ever day. Maybe unless you go to Iqaluit for the services they have, but in reality, people are only sent down after they have attempted suicide. When you are not located in Iqaluit, there’s practically nothing other than the social workers.

Don’t I have basic rights too, like Mr. Horne, to try and turn my life around with proper help? I really hope that our leaders will respond to my letter and take action even if it means going through court. I have been, for so many years, kept in the dark and felt helpless. Our current systems for both Justice and Health don’t work.

For example, if I take those people who molested me to court, I will be vicitimized again by our current system because I know I wouldn’t be satisfied with the outcome. I know right away that in court they cannot consider the emotional state of human beings because it is unseen.

There is nowhere to go for help in dealing with pain, anger, and frustration. In part of my life, I have felt some setbacks that have been created in my life by sick people. I have a lot more to say about our system but I will end it here.

Being a survivor and having done well in doing something about it (in terms of healing and turning to friends for support) is something I am proud of because I did it on my own, and I can say I’ve come a long way. Child molestors should be punished and put away for a long time, a longer time than the usual outcome in the courts that I’ve seen, heard and read.

I’m asking that my name be withheld because I could get into a lot of trouble for expressing my opinion like this and could lose my job.

(Name witheld by request)
Pangnirtung