I was 15 when I was groomed and sexually abused by my scout leader. I was in foster care, isolated from my family, and vulnerable. The leader was over a decade older than me. Everything seemed so innocent at first, meeting for coffee or driving out to toy shops. Then he would drive me to parts of the countryside to touch and kiss me. By the time I was 18, he had full control of my life. I was pregnant, he moved me out of my foster placement and into his home, he got me a job at his company, he would come into my sixth form classes, he would threaten to kill himself when I spent time with anyone who wasn’t him. He stopped me from going to my dream university. My education, my body, my sexual maturity, my dream career was all stolen from me. By the time I was 20 we had two daughters. He financially abused me, spent all of our income on his hobbies or online sex workers. I had to take out credit cards totalling £4500 to pay his debts and keep a roof over my child’s head.

I managed to leave him when I was 21. I’m now almost 30- But he still controls me through our children. He still hurts me. The worst part of it all is that everyone knew. All the other leaders said how they had suspicions, or knew that something was going on. No one safeguarded me, no one stopped him. At one point, another leader asked him “have you had her in pigtails yet?”. They laughed together and high fived, discussing my breasts and the thought of dressing my hair like a young girl.

This culture has to end. I am terrified for my daughters.