Survivor shares story of childhood sexual abuse after psychic uncovers secret

Nella may have never spoken out about the sexual abuse she endured if it had not been for a

psychic in New Orleans.

She grew up in Germany and her parents split up at a young age.

Her mother was often working and Nella would spend a lot of time at home alone.

Nella, who moved to Australia in her early teens, remembers wishing she had an older brother.

“I remember always wanting an older brother, someone to protect me,” she said.

When her older cousin came into the picture, she thought her prayers had been answered.

Sadly, she soon discovered her nightmare was just beginning.

Nella was about seven when he arrived and the cousin was 15.

He was first physically abusive - hitting her - and later became sexually abusive.

Nella’s complaints to her parents were dismissed.

“I told both my parents about it and they kind of just laughed it off - they would say ‘you’re

probably just exaggerating, he’s just playing’,” Nella recalls.

Soon his advances became sexual - with the cousin at first masturbating in front of her and later

asking her to do this for him.

Nella was made to feel that no one would believe her if she reported it.

She was also sexually abused by a female cousin.

“I knew that it was a secret, that I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone,” she said.

The abuse stopped at age 13 when her cousins moved away.

When she relocated to Australia at age 15, she made a conscious decision to “lock it away”.

“I was ashamed,” she said.

“I thought ‘it’s a huge secret and I’m never ever ever going to tell anyone’.”

Nella used alcohol to numb the pain for many years.

When she met her fiance, she was shocked to discover a male could be so kind and caring.

“When he came into the picture it was a shock to the system,” she said.

“I could not comprehend that guys could be so kind and caring.”

On a trip to the US, she was drawn to a particular psychic.

“She caught my attention and I thought ‘I need to go and talk to her’,” Nella said.

Amazingly, she spoke about Nella’s past abuse and the fact she had kept it a secret.

“No one in my life - apart from my abusers knew what happened - that woman had a gift.”

Nella returned home to Australia and told her partner and ultimately went on to seek

counselling.

She said it was the greatest gift she had ever given herself and encouraged other survivors to

speak out.

Nella shared her story on episode 4 of the Survivor Stories podcast. LISTEN HERE.