Sonia Orchard

'The first thing I need to know,' I said to the detective, 'is has a crime been committed?' Sonia Orchard was in her forties when she told a therapist about the boyfriend she had when she was fifteen. Sure, he had been a decade older than her, but it was consensual ... wasn't it? To her surprise, Sonia broke down...

Stories of child sexual abuse appear in the media weekly, often framed as isolated incidents. But child sexual abuse and exploitation is one of Australia’s most pervasive human rights challenges, affecting over a quarter of children. The ripple effect – the burden on mental health, drug and alcohol services – means all Australians pay for the damage wrought by these...