Karen Danczuk burst into tears as she revealed the true
extent of her brother's campaign of rape against her
on an emotional Loose Women episode
Michael Burke's story is below
The 33-year-old self-proclaimed selfie queen sobbed as she opened up about how paedophile Michael Burke staged years of sexual abuse.
Burke, 38, who this week was convicted of a string of sex attacks against Karen and other women, targeted his sister when she was aged between nine and 11.
"I knew it was wrong because it didn't feel right. I couldn't ask someone – it's not like I could tell someone at school – so I thought this was what everyone went through," she told the Loose Women panel on the first day of their new Never Too Late To Tell campaign, aimed at helping victims of abuse speak out.
Karen Danczuk broke down as she spoke to the Loose Women panel about brother Michael's horrific sexual abuse against her.
"[I felt] numb. Normal kids would be upset if they couldn't play with a toy or something, but for me, this was life."
Karen, holding a tissue to stem her tears, drew compassionate comments from the rest of the panel, who told her how brave she'd been to get it out in the open.
When asked what she'd say to her younger self, Karen said: "I look at young Karen as a third person now, as a result of my therapy. But I'd tell her, 'We did it.' I wish I could give her a hug, to be honest."
Tell campaign against child abuse 0:55
"I just thought this was life," Karen said as she wiped tears from her eyes
sentenced later this month (Photo: Manchester Evening News)
She then dissolved into shoulder-shaking sobs, as Andrea Mclean gravely told the camera it was time to take a break.
Emotional viewers took to Twitter to praise Karen's bravery, and thousands sent in their messages of support to the ITV show.
"Karen you're such a brave women, you truest are an inspiration to so many others. Stay strong and keep smiling," wrote one.
own sexual abuse (Photo: Loose Women Karen Danczuk)
"Watching the amazingly courageous @KarenDanczuk on @loosewomen . Crying here too Karen, what a selfless act in sharing your journey so soon," said another.
A third tweeted: "Can't believe how incredibly brave Karen is being & this will certainly make a difference! You will never be alone!"
Earlier in the show, Saira Khan welled up as she described the burden of her own childhood sexual abuse being lifted after she spoke out about it on the show.
A month ago, Saira broke down on live TV as she came clean about her uncle molesting her when she was just 13.
She was widely praised for having the confidence to talk about it after her abuser died, and was told by hundreds of Loose Women viewers that she'd helped them, too.
It comes as Penny Lancaster , Gregg Wallace and ex-footballer Paul Stewart all spoke out about their own sexual abuse - the latter having sparked a huge FA investigation into the prevalence of sexual assault within youth football.
'MONSTER' RAPIST
Who is Michael Burke?
Karen Danczuk’s brother and convicted rapist
The 38-year-old collapsed in the dock after being found guilty of eight rapes against three different victims
BY GEMMA MULLIN The SunMICHAEL Burke, 38, was convicted of eight rapes against three different victims, including his own sister, Karen Danczuk.
She broke down in court and described him as a “monster” who had “robbed me of my childhood”.
Who is Michael Burke?
Michael Burke, 38, is the older brother of ‘selfie queen’ Karen Danczuk – the estranged wife of Labour MP Simon Danczuk.
He is the second eldest of taxi driver Martin Burke – originally from Galway, Ireland – and wife Susan’s five children, of whom Karen is the youngest.
They lived in a small end-of-terrace house in Rochdale, Manchester, but the couple’s marriage broke down and Martin reportedly moved out of the family home in 1990.
Karen claims that it was around this time when her mother moved in one of her lovers and the abuse by her brother began, the Daily Mail reports.
Which makes one wonder whether Michael was being abused by mother's lover? Single moms need to be very careful about who they bring into their homes. Too many are not.
The 33-year-old came forward with claims she had been raped and sexually abused by a family friend in February 2015, before later naming Burke as her attacker.
The divorced dad-of-three was arrested and questioned by Greater Manchester Police, but bailed pending further inquiries.
The security guard told the Daily Mail after his arrest: “I just told them the truth – that we had a good upbringing and that we all used to get on.
“I said I was closer to her [Karen] than my brothers. Then they asked me things that no brother ever wants to be asked about their sister.
“It was really intimate stuff abut whether I had touched her. It made my stomach turn.”
What was Burke charged with?
Michael Burke was rearrested in April 2015 after ‘new information came to light’ and was charged with a a string of sex attacks relating to three victims.
The case was brought before a jury at Manchester Crown Court in November, where Burke denied all charges.
He claimed that he was the victim of “a conspiracy ” by the three complainants and added: “I will prove it eventually. These allegations have been wholly made up against me.”
The court heard how Burke was accused of 15 rapes, one attempted rape and one indecent assault against three females over an 18-year period starting from the early 1990s when he was a teenager.
A jury found Burke guilty of raping his sister three times when she was aged between nine and 11.
He was also convicted of four rapes of a second complainant when he was a teenager and she was 12 and 13 — and of raping a third woman of a similar age to himself between January 2008 and March 2010.
Burke shook his head while hearing evidence in the three-week trial and collapsed in the dock when the guilty verdict was read.
The judge told him a custodial sentence was “inevitable”.
Why did Karen Danczuk waive her right to anonymity?
The mum-of-two waived her right to anonymity in the hope it would encourage other victims of sexual abuse to come forward.
She gave an exclusive interview with The Sun branding her brother a “monster” for raping her as a girl.
Karen added: “He is sick, I hope he rots in hell. He robbed me of my childhood. I was so damaged, my education suffered and I’ve battled anxiety and depression in my adult life.”
The 33-year-old has become a celebrity in her own right following her marriage to MP Simon Danczuk, who she split from over claims he became jealous of the attention she was receiving from her revealing selfies.
She said that taking busty selfies became a way of dealing with the abuse she had suffered as a child.
Karen told this newspaper that her brother would target her on Sunday nights, because he knew that she wouldn't be wearing underwear as that was 'bath night'.
“I would always pretend to be asleep and lie with my back to him, facing the wall. I was terrified and confused but I didn’t know what else to do," she said.
Holding back tears, Karen said: “It was so sore. I remember screwing up my face trying not to cry and wishing for it to be over. I would not dare tell anyone.
“Now I’ve got children of my own that makes me feel sick. I was living in a hell-hole — there was no love in my house. It wasn’t a normal household.”
Karen, who now has a new partner named David Eescudero, tweeted a quote after the guilty outcome, which said: "Pain is temporary, victory is forever."
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