LE SILENCE

When I was your age I was surrounded by lots of people, in class, at recess, in the school yard. All over.

It's strange because actually inside I felt extremely lonely. Terribly alone.

In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

When I was your age, I did a lot, I did too much. I was pretending to be left alone. So that no one asks me questions. Because I was afraid of the answers.

In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

When I was your age, I found myself so different from other people. It's normal: I was. The rest of them had normal lives, normal families. A normal brother. I could never have imagined that there, in the middle of the others, there was necessarily one or another who was going through the same thing as me.

In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.

The same pains. The same fears. The same feelings of shame and guilt. The same feeling that we won't get out of it. This same helplessness in not being able to prevent anything. The same certainty that no one will believe us. Never.

In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

Our stories are different. The assaults we have suffered are different. Our abusers are different. And yet our wounds are the same. I know everything you're going through. But above all I know what you're going to go through if you keep silent.

In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

We believe that silence will protect us. We believe that silence is simpler. We believe he will be our ally. But silence is not our friend. He will destroy you slowly. It will make you lose confidence in each other, but more importantly, in you.

In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

In addition to this, you will need to know more about it.