Shannon* (names have been changed) was barely in Primary 1 when her older cousin started touching her inappropriately. She tells AZLINDA SAID how she was nearly raped.

"Mark* and I grew up together. He was 10 years older than me and was the big brother I never had. I trusted him completely and never questioned anything he asked me to do. But maybe I should have.

It Started with a Kiss

I spent my early childhood at my grandmother's home. My siblings, cousins and I flocked to her house after school and hung out there until it was time for us to go back to our own homes. I enjoyed being at Grandma's as I never lacked playmates there. I was especially close to Mark, my de facto protector, and was seldom apart from him.

As one of the older grandchildren, mark helped our grandmother to look after the younger ones. To keep us quiet, he would bounce us on his lap as he watched television or played computer games.

One day, as I sat on his lap, Mark asked everyone else to leave the room, saying that he needed some peace and quiet. I thought nothing of it - we were a noisy bunch, so I figured he needed a reprieve. Once we were alone, Mark turned me to face him and kissed me full on the mouth.

The smooch was anything but brotherly. Being only seven years old at that time, I didn't pull away as I thought it was normal for older and younger cousins of the opposite sex to behave that way. A part of me was curious too, so I let him continue.

Getting Touchy-feely

From then on, Mark would find reasons to hold my hand or touch some part of my body. Again, I let him because I saw them as affectionate gestures. It didn't seem odd to me that he didn't do the same with his other female cousins. Instead, I felt special because Mark was giving me his full attention.

I can't remember how long he molested me for. My guess is that it went on for about a year - before he decided to take it further.

One afternoon, as I was getting ready for a nap, he followed me into the bedroom and locked the door. Then, he stripped and climbed into bed with me. Under the blanket, he asked me to remove all my clothes as well. I obeyed, never wondering why we had to be naked to take a nap.

I never questioned his authority because I saw him as an older brother who could do no wrong.