The young woman divulged details about her perpetrators. Tragic stories. One man was a community leader. An authority figure in her life. Another was a family member. The sexual abuse lasted for more than a decade during her childhood.
At The Scarlet Cord installation, this young woman quietly approached me and asked for a scarlet cord bracelet. As I tied on the bracelet, she burst into tears. More of her story spilled out. We embraced.
“The shame and the guilt of your sexual abuse,” I said, “belongs to your perpetrators. The individuals who committed the sexual crimes against you.” Our eyes locked; she never even blinked. “The shame and the guilt doesn’t belong to you.”
She cried again.
One of her perpetrators told her that she had invited the abuse by being seductive. “His accusations are part of the abuse,” I said. “Children don’t solicit sexual abuse; children are the victims.”
I gave her one of the “Healing” necklaces that my friend designed. As part of The Scarlet Cord outreach, a friend purchased the beautiful “Healing” necklaces and added a tiny scarlet bead to each one. The young woman tearfully clasped the necklace to her heart. “This gift will be cherished forever.”
