Everyday thousands of children are being sexually abused. You can stop the abuse of at least one child by simply praying. You can possibly stop the abuse of thousands of children by forwarding the link in First Time Visitor? by email, Twitter or Facebook to every Christian you know. Save a child or lots of children!!!! Do Something, please!

3:15 PM prayer in brief:
Pray for God to stop 1 child from being molested today.
Pray for God to stop 1 child molestation happening now.
Pray for God to rescue 1 child from sexual slavery.
Pray for God to save 1 girl from genital circumcision.
Pray for God to stop 1 girl from becoming a child-bride.
If you have the faith pray for 100 children rather than one.
Give Thanks. There is more to this prayer here

Please note: All my writings and comments appear in bold italics in this colour

Monday, 10 February 2025

Child Sexual Abuse > One Survivor's Brilliant Story - From Victim to Hero

 

From survivor to detective: 

A life fighting child sexual abuse


After being abused by his grandfather,

Robert Shilling went on to help rescue thousands of children.


Al Jazeera

Robert Shilling [Andrew Buncombe/Al Jazeera]

Robert Shilling has had a four-decade long career in law enforcement where he has worked to help victims of child sexual abuse [Andrew Buncombe/Al Jazeera]

Warning: This story contains references to child sexual abuse that some readers may find disturbing.

Lacey, Washington, United States Robert Shilling has seen many terrible things.

Too much for him to forget. Too much to do anything other than file it away in part of his brain and try to keep it there.

This is the only way, he says, he can continue to be a force for good in the world after having witnessed – and experienced – so much of its darkness.

This has come at a considerable cost. It damaged the 73-year-old’s marriage, he once drank too much, and for years he struggled to speak about his work investigating cases of child sexual abuse, except with colleagues.

He suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and every month he makes – and keeps – an appointment with a therapist.

A four-decade career in law enforcement mostly in Washington state concluded with Shilling heading the Crimes Against Children Unit of Interpol, the international investigative organisation headquartered in Lyon, France. There, officers dispatched from 196 member countries tackle crimes that spread across national borders.

Shilling was sent to Interpol after more than 30 years with the Seattle Police Department, the last 10 of which he spent heading up the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit.

When he arrived in Lyon in 2013, his team was small, just Shilling, three officers and an intern.

On their first day together, Shilling called the team into his office and asked them if they personally knew a victim of child sexual abuse. “You’re looking at one right now,” he told them.

He remembers them looking back at him, startled. “They were just shocked that somebody who was their supervisor would tell them this,” he says.

He wanted to convey that anyone can be a victim. “I told them to help them understand what we’re dealing with,” Shilling explains.

Please continue reading Robert's excellent story on Al Jazeera at:

5,420 rescued children



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