To the Editor:

I’m writing in response to the April 7 letter to the editor entitled “Break silence on sexual abuse, child abuse.”

I applaud Melissa Hedelius for writing such a needed letter and for the work that the Genieve Shelter is doing.

She states in her letter that victims of abuse “should feel as if they can go to any person in their community to be heard — and helped.”

After reading this letter, I felt compelled to relate an experience that a family member had recently. She was sexually abused at ages 6 and 15, by her stepfather. Not wanting her niece to suffer the same horrors, she bravely brought charges against her abuser. Upon investigation, it was revealed that this “monster” had at least two more victims in another state!

Because she needed two character witnesses for the trial, two of her teachers were asked to help. One agreed to do the right thing, while the other teacher declined, citing the advice she had received from the school principal, to “not get involved.”

I was outraged at this mentality and could only wonder what each of these women would have done if this child had come to them with her secret. Would they have said to her, “I can’t get involved”? Shame on them!

It is my opinion that Ms. Hedelius was right when she stated that the way to stop these forms of abuse is to pull together and stand up for these victims — and refuse to allow it to continue — by doing everything in your power to bring the abusers to justice.

Ann Cole

Courtland