Tell Your Story
(If and when you choose)
sharing is always your choice.
nothing here happens without your consent.
Some survivors want to record what happened to them. Others don’t. Many aren’t sure. All of those positions are valid.
This page exists to explain what it means to share your story with The Survivors, so you can decide whether it’s something you want to do. There is no expectation that you will. You won’t be reminded, encouraged, or followed up if you decide not to.
If you do choose to share, it will happen slowly and with care. We don’t rush people, and we don’t assume that telling your story is always helpful or healing. For some people it is. For others, it isn’t. We respect that everyone is different.
What your story is for:
When survivors decide to share, their testimony helps establish what happened, how it was handled, and where responsibility lies. Stories are recorded to preserve evidence and reduce the risk of this abuse being ignored or allowed to continue in the future.
To do this properly, we are developing our evidence-gathering protocols with former police officers and highly experienced therapists. This work is designed to meet a high standard for evidence handling while remaining trauma-informed and ethically grounded.
Your story will not be used for publicity, fundraising, or political point-scoring. It is not shared to provoke outrage or attention. Its purpose is documentation, accountability, and prevention.
What your story is not:
Sharing your story with us is not:
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a requirement for support
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a promise of justice or closure
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a public disclosure
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a legal process
You will not be asked to relive events for effect, prove harm, or fit your experience into a particular narrative.
How the process works
Our approach is trauma-informed, which means we pay close attention to pace, consent, and emotional safety. It is also evidence-aware, meaning information is handled carefully and accurately, without being shaped to fit a predetermined conclusion. We are interested in hearing from every grooming gang survivor. If you think your story isn't 'typical', that's ok. We still want to hear it.
If you decide to go ahead, the process looks like this:
Before anything is recorded, we chat with you to talk through why you want to share your story now, and how you would like it to be shared. We explain your options clearly and answer any questions you have. An experienced therapist will be present to explain the emotional journey that telling your story may evoke, and to help you decide whether now is the right time for you to share your truth. There is no rush. If now is not the right time, we can support you as you work toward that moment.
Following our initial meeting, you will have a chance to think through whether telling your story now is right for you. If it is, we will move forward to a recording session in which you can start to tell your truth. This doesn't have to be done in one sitting. Some people know what they want to say, and are confident in saying it. Others may need a few sessions before they feel they have shared all that they want to.
Again, there is no rush. You are free to stop any session or meeting at any time, if it doesn't feel right for you.
You can choose whether your story is anonymous, named, or partially identifiable.
It can be given on video, on audio, or written down.
Once you have told your story, our editors will create a video, audio recording or written testimony for presentation to the public. We will be asking lawyers to check all material to ensure that nothing we release could jeopardise potential future court cases. You will also be involved in this process so that we can be sure that we are telling your story in the way you want it told.
It is your story; you are in control of how it is shared - and whether it's shared at all. Consent is ongoing. You can withdraw permission later, even after something has been shared. We will explain what that means in practice before you decide.
Nothing is passed on to anyone else without your explicit agreement.
You are in control
You don’t owe anyone your story.
Not us.
Not the public.
Not the idea of justice.
If you choose to share, it should be because it feels right for you, not because you feel pressured or responsible for what comes next.
If you’re unsure, it’s okay to wait. If you decide never to share, that’s okay too.