Statement made on 03 June 2010 by Senator Claudette Tardif
Hon. Claudette Tardif (Deputy Leader of the Opposition):
Honourable senators, Little Warriors, an organization preventing child sexual abuse, is launching its new media campaign today.
Glori Meldrum, chair and founder of Little Warriors will appear in radio and television advertisements across Alberta saying:
My name is Glori. I was eight. I lived with my offender. He was family. He was a monster. I was robbed of my innocence and my childhood. Two years of sexual abuse took me twenty-eight to recover. This may have happened to me, but it doesn't have to happen to other kids. That is why I founded Little Warriors.
Along with Glori, 25 survivors of child sexual abuse are raising their voices in similar radio advertisements. They bring testimonies of abuse by parents, neighbours and teachers, or indicate the pain they share with a loved one who has been abused as a child. They also tell us of the difficulties of coping with such a terrible secret for so long; the repercussions on their health, self-esteem and trust; and the long journey out of depression and permanent nightmares toward healing.
In a time when the topic of child sexual abuse is still taboo, difficult to bring up and painful to hear, I commend Little Warriors for its media campaign and all the sponsors for taking a stand against child sexual abuse. I commend their bravery to speak up, especially in light of the possibility of reliving their trauma. I admire the incredible courage, the strength and resilience they show to rise above fear, self-esteem and mental health issues.
I also encourage all Canadians to step up against this scourge and to take workshops in child abuse prevention.
Thank you, Anita, Carrie, Chris, Glori, Gloria, Jessica, Jodie, Jolene, Kristine, Laura, Pam, Rebecca Shannon, Tasha, Trista and Vicki for participating in this campaign. Thank you for raising your voices and for sharing with us a message of hope — a survivor's hope of being able to face the past, a hope of being able to help other victims, and a hope to prevent further harm.
May your voices be heard, and may child sexual abuse be abolished for our future generations.
Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!