There is no excuse for sexual abuse. None. I can also tell you that I have seen loving parents who believed a child's story of what was happening, took immediate steps to get police involved, and who got immediate help and support for the child. It was amazing how healing those actions were for that traumatized child.

I have also seen cases similar to Bernadette's, where the trauma of an abusive parent's (or parent figure) actions were multiplied by the other parent's refusal to believe what was happening or blaming the victim. I honestly don't know which hurt the child more.