KC area woman recalls sexual abuse as child, offers hope for survivors

KC area woman recalls sexual abuse as child

DOT COM SLASHREBOUND.THIS WEEK POLICEREPORTS REVEALED THEBODY OF THREE-YEAR-OLDOLIVIA JANSEN SHOWEDSIGNS OF PHYSICALABUSE.BUT THERE ARE OTHERSIGNS BESIDES THEPHYSICAL YOU CAN WATCHOUT FOR IF YOU SUSPECTSOMEONE IS BEINGABUSED.AND... AS A YOUNGWOMAN WHO SURVIVEDSEXUAL ABUSE AS A CHILDPOINTS OUT...THE MOST IMPORTANTTHING YOU CAN DO ISBELIEVE VICTIMS WHENTHEY COME FORWARD.ANCHOR CAITLIN KNUTESHARES HER STORY.AN ACCOMPLISHEDVIOLINIST WHO'S PLAYEDSINCE THE AGE OF 5...ELENA NANNEMAN ONCEPLANNED TO PLAYPROFESSIONALLY.BUT..

THE 22 YEAR OLD ISNOW PURSUING ADIFFERENT CAREER PATH..SHAPED BY THE SEXUALABUSE SHE SAYS SHEEXPERIENCED AS A YOUNGGIRL.Elena Nanneman:"And when I was around 7 or8 I started to be sexuallyabused by one of the elders inmy grandfather's church, andthat went on for maybe 3 or 4years."Nanneman recalls beingscared to say anything,especially to her grandfatherwho was the pastor of thechurch, partly because theelder was a family friend sheloved and trusted."He would wait wheneveryone was downstairs andwould come into my bedroomand as he would be touchingme inappropriately andassaulting me he would draghis fingers across his lips andgo "shh."From there, she says theadvances got bolder,assaulting her in public atchurch get-togethers."it would look like he wasgiving me a hug, but really hispants were unzipped and hewas forcing himself on me."Too young to realize it wasn'ther fault, Nanneman says ittook an older girl in the churchwitnessing the abuse to comeforward.She said, has he done that toyou before?

And i said, ya.and she said ok, we need totell your mom.HER MOM WAS A SOCIALWORKER AND HER DADWAS A NURSE, SO THEYKNEW WHAT STEPS TOTAKE.BUT..

AS NANNEMANPOINTS OUT... THEY NEVERTHOUGHT THEY'D HAVE TOREPORT ABUSE INVOLVINGTHEIR OWN CHILD.Thankfully for the family, theyfound the Sunflower House..

AChildren's advocacy centerthat specializes in handlingcases of physical and sexualabuse.michelle herman, pres./ceo ofsunflower house"So our staff are speciallytrained forensic interviews,they're licensed social workerswith a special expertise.

Andthey are able to sit down withchildren and basically allowthem in a very safeenvironment to tell the detailsof what happened to them."AT THAT POINT THE FOCUSIS ON FACT-FINDING..ASKING QUESTIONS THATCOULD DETERMINEWHETHER A CASE GOESTO COURT... ACONVERSATION THAT'SRECORDED FOR POSSIBLEEVIDENCE LATER.IT ALSO OFFERS A MUCHDIFFERENT EXPERIENCEFOR CHILDREN THANGOING TO THE POLICESTATION TO GIVE ASTATEMENT.Herman:"Before there was a sunflowerhouse, that's pretty much whathappened:50-:56 "...and we know thatchildren have alreadyexperienced enough trauma,so the real purpose ofsunflower house is to reducethat trauma as much aspossible."And, when the interview isover, the children are led intowhat's known as the teddybear room, a place to pick outa stuffed animal, a momentNanneman remembers well.CK: so this is the room youactually came in when youwere younger?

Elena: "Yes, Iremember this room exactly, Istill have my lion I got fromhere.

His name is Leo."NOW TATTERED ANDWORN..

THE STUFFEDANIMAL IS A REMINDER OFTHE GENTLE WAY THESUNFLOWER HOUSEHELPED NANNEMAN STARTTO PUT HER PAIN BEHINDHER.they made sure theycommunicated with me itwasn't my fault and they werehere to help me and they weregoing to believe me.ULTIMATELY, THE FAMILYDECIDED NOT TO PRESSCHARGES.SHE SAID HER PARENTSWANTED TO, BUT IN THEEND, THEY RESPECTEDHER WISHES TO LEAVE THEABUSE IN THE PAST.Herman: "And we know that, given theopportunity, children areresilient and can learn to copewith and get past that trauma."YEARS LATER..

NANNEMANCREDITS THE SUNFLOWERHOUSE WITH HELPING HERMOVE ON WITH HER LIFE.I choose to get up in themorning and I have to decide,am I going to let this beat me,or am I not.TODAY, SHE'S USING HEREXPERIENCE TO HELPOTHERS, SHARING HERSTORY TO ADVOCATE FORVICTIMS' RIGHTS,SPEAKING ON BEHALF OFTHE SUNFLOWER HOUSE,EVEN WORKING TOWARD ALAW DEGREE TO ONE DAYREPRESENT VICTIMS.MEANWHILE... SHEDOESN'T JUST WEAR HERHEART ON HER SLEEVE...SHE WEARS A VIVIDREMINDER OF WHERESHE'S BEEN AND WHERESHE'S GOING ON HERWRIST."This is actually the childabuse survivor ribbon and thissunflower is actually forsunflower house and it kind ofreminds me where I was, indarkness, and I chose tomake a differenceand it's just a healing journeyfor me.CAITLIN KNUTE 41 ACTION