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A local woman, a sexual abuse survivor, is stepping forward to seek justice.
Jennifer Green, 55, says she has been suffering from the effects of repeated sexual assault her entire life.
She suffers from complex PTSD, has endured periods of homelessness and survived numerous suicide attempts as a result of the abuse she endured between ages five and 17.
Now, she is looking to take control of her life’s narrative and seek justice for what has been done to her.
“I've been having trouble with depression my whole life,” Green told OrilliaMatters. “I came to realize that it was because of this abuse.”
“This needs to be brought out. The main reason I did this was to help myself to try to get better, and the only way I feel like I can get that is to get some justice of some sort.”
Green says four men sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions throughout her childhood, each of whom acted individually. Two family members, a tenant on her family's property, and a friend of her family members were among the abusers, she says. (They cannot be named because they have not been charged)
Some of the alleged instances of abuse included digital penetration; sneaking into Green’s room to assault her while she was in bed; and removing her clothes, kissing, fondling, and exposing her while she was still a child, among other abuses.
Green, an adopted child, says she has received very little support throughout her life.
“I can't come into this town and talk to any of my older generation family without them calling me a liar,” said Green, who now rents a room in Barrie.
“There was a time when I was in the hospital that there was a family meeting, and I told my mother about (the abuse),” she recalled. “My mother doesn't believe me. She says that she didn't know what was going on. I believe that's a lie.”
Green says the lack of help from her mother was a source of great pain for her.
“I was never ashamed or felt that (the abuse) was my fault, because I knew it wasn't my fault,” Green said. “The shame and embarrassment and pain and hurt came from my mother putting it on me – I believe that at some point she knew what was happening. She denies that she knew anything.”
“She's my mom. She's supposed to protect me and she didn't.”
After suffering for much of her life, Green says she first went to the OPP at age 50, but the investigation had limited success.
“They charged (one of the accused), but then they withdrew the charges. They never charged him,” Green said. “They never went after (the tenant). That tells me that I’m nothing – I don't matter to anybody.”
Green has an ongoing legal case related to her childhood experiences, through Chapman Law in Barrie, and she hopes that by speaking out she may inspire others to do the same.
“I want to make sure that (my story) helps anybody else that's going through the same thing,” she said. “Whether you're 12, 25 or 60, don't wait the rest of your life with what was done to you. Speak up about it.”
While she is still on the road to recovery, Green says she's determined to reclaim her life and move forward.
“My birth name was Bridget,” Green said. “That baby that was named Bridget, I need to be the adult to help her. I need to be the person that little girl needed years ago because there is nobody else to help her.”
Once she has found justice, Green plans to change her name to Bridget.
Orillia OPP Const. Brett Boniface said the OPP connects victims with mental and physical health services before and after court proceedings.
He said that anyone experiencing sexual violence should find safety and reach out to authorities.
“If someone is in a situation where there is violence or sexual violence in their home, the first course of action they should take is to get themselves to safety,” Boniface told OrilliaMatters. “Contact police, and police … will investigate all allegations to their fullest, and will connect people to community resources as well as internal resources to support them through the process.”
While he said he could not share details about Green’s case, historical sexual abuse cases are always taken seriously by the OPP, Boniface said.
“They're difficult to investigate on one hand, as far as specific evidentiary value is concerned,” he said. “However, people's story is their story, and that's something that will always be investigated to the nth degree.”
Chapman Law did not respond to requests for comment.
Editor's note: This article has been edited since its original publication.
