A MALVERN man has opened up about having been a victim of sexual abuse when he was just a young child.
Callum Witt, who has waived his right to anonymity, said he was only nine years old when he was first sexually abused, leading to a childhood that he has described as “hell”.
The perpetrator was known to him, but not family or a family friend.
The abuse continued for five years, and it wasn’t much longer before he was groomed online by someone he met via Xbox.
“I’d been conditioned and didn’t think it was abnormal but he was 25 and I was 14,” Mr Witt said.
Mr Witt, aged 29, who is married and expecting his first child, runs his own business ScoopMaven, a dog waste management service for people who have physical challenges that make it difficult to keep their gardens clean.
Next month, the business owner will take on a challenge that he says “terrifies” him, as he completes a 15,000ft skydive for HANDS, a charity with a variety of causes, including protecting children from exploitation in Thailand.
His fundraiser has already amassed more than £1,000 in donations, ahead of the skydive on August 30.
When asked what he would say to someone who has experienced sexual abuse, Mr Witt urged other survivors to come forward.
“What happened to you was never your fault,” he said. “The shame belongs to the person who hurt you, never to you.”
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Turning to drugs and alcohol
Mr Witt says he turned to substances to cope following the abuse, taking cannabis for the first time when he was in Year 7.
He also frequently moved schools and ended up living in care.
“I was in Year 7 when I tried cannabis for the first time and I instantly found an escape,” Mr Witt said. “I struggled until about 10 years ago.
“Childhood was hell for me. I went through loads of school placements and didn’t have many friends.
“When I went into care, that was a hell of an experience.”
Difficulty opening up
He said he had tried to tell a family member about the abuse but wasn’t believed, meaning he never felt able to report his initial case to the police.
The grooming was looked into by police, but Mr Witt said he was living hundreds of miles away and struggling with substance abuse at the time.
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OVERCOME: Now aged 29, Callum Witt is sharing his story in the hopes that it will help others (Image: Supplied)
Those in need of support can reach out to the following helplines:
