As a child, I did not understand what my father was doing.
His assaults ranged from manual stimulation to oral, anal and vaginal penetration.
My father, a former police officer, began to sexually abuse me at the age of 3 and continued until just prior to my 16th birthday. For most of my life, the pain was buried under the defenses that I had developed to emotionally survive the incest. Vulnerability is difficult to expose to others, but now I can allow myself the relief of crying. Tears form in my eyes, and I dive into the water so they will go unnoticed. I look at the little girl in the pool and wish that I could have felt the same bond of trust with my mother that she feels with hers. I acknowledge another equally painful memory, of my mother, who did not protect me from my father. Today, I am left with an image of horror and betrayal. My look of joy suddenly turns to one of shame and fear. I see the same joy on my face as I just saw a moment ago on the child's, until my father reaches his hand under my swimsuit to fondle me. The memory surfaces of myself as a small child: My arms are wrapped around my father's neck while swimming in a lake. A smile of success and relief appears on the child's face. The mother tries to assure her daughter that she will not be left adrift, but her efforts fail.Īcknowledging the fear, the mother tosses the ring onto the deck and gently kisses her daughter's cheek. Protesting, the little girl begins to kick her feet and cling desperately to her mother's neck. Not a hint of distrust crosses this child's face she appears confident of her mother's love and protection.Īfter a few moments, the mother attempts to place the child into an inflatable toy ring. They wrap their arms securely around each other and playfully bob up and down. has reached out to Medland but she has not yet response to a request for comment.I watch a young mother climb into the swimming pool with her 3-year-old daughter. Or maybe he just did it for a reaction, which let's admit, is something toddler's are known for. While of course Medland isn't the child's mother, chances are that wouldn't make a difference in his behavior. "It is very common for toddlers to need to touch their mother's breasts for comfort or to fall asleep for as much as a year after weaning," she wrote to one user. Laura Markham from Aha! Parenting, it's totally normal for toddlers to grab breasts, especially when they are being weaned off a bottle. Now that user is onto something! According to Dr. For all we know, this kid could still be breastfeeding, recently weened or hell, maybe he even remembers being fed," read another comment. "You people who say she's horrible for not stopping him need to get a life and go to therapy," another wrote. There is no sexual thought in that child, it only exists in their own filthy minds," one user wrote. "Ignore the losers! The innocence of childhood is lost on them. However, many people have been defending her saying the child's behavior is totally natural, and that her response was heartwarming. someone needs to report this," a user wrote. "That's child endangerment for sexual abuse. "She should've stopped him from doing it the second time he tried to do rub her boob," another wrote. "She is obviously aroused, damn pedophile," one user wrote. Many believe the video, which now has over 178,00 views, is a display of perverted behavior, and some even accused Medland of promoting pedophilia.