After being subjected to sexual abuse by her father for years, Nikki Houston has spoken out in the hope of encouraging other victims to break their silence. Her father, Duncan Houston, was recently sentenced to four years in jail for repeatedly raping her between 1994 and 2002. Ms. Houston decided to waive her anonymity in order to impress on other survivors of sexual abuse that they should not feel alone.
Ms. Houston has gone public with her story to help people in similar situations. Despite being resilient as a child, she admitted to finding the experience very traumatic later in life. Speaking to the BBC Scotland News reporter, she encouraged other children to receive help and support while they are still young enough to cope with the pain. She said that reporting her father had not been a frightening experience, and that she had been made to feel welcome in giving her statement.
Mr. Houston, who was described by his daughter as a former soldier and very charming to the outside world, is now behind bars. Despite feeling resentful of him since she grew up, Ms. Houston still feels some empathy for her father. He frequently cried and expressed regret for his actions; however, that has not stopped her from feeling that his offenses were utterly evil.
As a child, Ms. Houston felt that the abuse was normal and never considered reporting it to the police. She thought it was just part of growing up. It wasn’t until she realised that her childhood had never been happy that she spoke out and began the long journey of bringing her father to justice.
Ms. Houston said she was pleased with the verdict and feels as though a weight has been lifted from her chest. She urged other victims of abuse to take the chance to tell someone about their ordeal. Anyone, a stranger on the street, can help start the healing process by listening
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