so sad what happened to her at such a young age. Also, sad that so many children are going through this at this very moment...

What happened to her?

susannah said:

That's my question

susannah said:

Here goes Susannah. I got it from Yahoo news.


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher revealed on Tuesday that she was sexually abused by an uncle as a child but kept it secret until he was arrested years later for molesting a girl who ultimately committed suicide.

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In an interview appearing in Vanity Fair magazine, Hatcher said she told prosecutors about her abuse in 2002 because she was haunted by thoughts of the 14-year-old girl who shot herself and feared that her uncle might escape conviction.

"I was just blown over by this girl's pain," the 41-year-old television star told Vanity Fair, recalling she learned about the case from newspaper clippings.

"I thought, 'Boy, that's really close to being me.' Any day of the week, I could feel that sort of pain. I haven't tried to kill myself, but I've certainly thought about it, and then I feel guilty about thinking about it, because what's so terrible about my life?"

Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Chuck Gillingham credits Hatcher for putting her uncle, Richard Hayes Stone, who was then 64, behind bars.

"Without Teri, this case would have been dismissed," he told the magazine, explaining that Hatcher's account provided key corroborating evidence to establish a pattern of behavior.

Stone, who was married to Hatcher's mother's sister when she was a girl, pleaded guilty to four counts of child molestation in December 2002 and was sentenced to 14 years in prison after Hatcher agreed to testify against him.

"He pleaded guilty, and even though it wasn't to my crime, it was because of my crime, and that made me feel validated," the television star told the magazine.

"That's a victim thing; you ask yourself, 'Am I just crazy? Did I make all this up?' Somehow it might be easier to accept that you're crazy and you made it all up than to admit that it happened, and how awful it was," she said.

Hatcher initially kept her involvement in the case, which never went to trial, a closely guarded secret, declining to include the experience in her upcoming book "Burned Toast," in part because she worried it might harm her career.

"But I'm 41 years old, and it's time for me to stop hiding," she said.

Hatcher is best known for her TV role as the disaster-prone Susan Mayer on ABC's hit show "Desperate Housewives." She previously co-starred as Lois Lane on the 1990s TV drama "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman."

In the interview, Hatcher recalled in chilling detail how she was sexually molested by Stone starting at age 5, when she and her parents lived in Sunnyvale, California, and the conflicted emotions of feeling both special and ashamed.

"The most horrible thing, that has stuck with me all my life, is that he was touching me and doing things to me, and he said, 'Doesn't that feel good?' (And) I said, 'No, it doesn't.' He said, 'Well, someday you'll know what I'm talking about."'

Hatcher said that before going to prosecutors four years ago, she had never told anyone of her own ordeal, not even her parents. She said she last saw Stone when she was 8 or 9.

Sadly this is a very familiar subject for women in American life.... Any woman who can face this horrific fact and stand up to it and help other women through their pain is an absolute hero in my book
[Edited 3/8/06 12:38pm]

Wow. thats awful, but its fantastic that she got a chance to get closure and help another poor girl because of it. Hopefully they can both find peace, whether in this life or the next. And as for Teri, she done absolutely wonderfully for herself, sheer strength. Well done girl

I really understand what Teri's going through. I am so sad to hear about that little girl committed suicide but at least that sick bastard is locked away so no another little girl wont be a victim. Not only Teri has helped that girl but many others too. Bravo Teri.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Your right. I have went through this, and most of my girlfriend have as well..

beret1022 said:

I obviously lived a sheltered childhood. I dont know anyone who has, well, that I know of anyway. I hope youre smiling now you guys and anyone else who doesnt want to post about it

Now if we could just get her to eat a steak or two and some potatoes.

jerseykrs said:

She IS looking a bit too skinny in this series of Desperate Housewives...verging on the unwell... Hope shes not unwell of course

my best friend in high school also went through this with her stepfather as well and the saddest part is he's a preacher. she tried to tell her mother but she didn't believed her which later caused some estrangement among the two. my friend went as far as taking him to court but the judge had to let him go due to lack of evidence. a typical its her word against his story. at least she had the guts to tell someone.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

sadly it's not only in America

susannah said:

Your so lucky.

beret1022 said:

I agreed.

susannah said:

Chances are you know plenty of people who have been through this. People just don't talk about it.

And not to totally hijack this thread but this girl killed herself. I hope that those who feel inclined to force rape victims into giving birth can see for at least a second that these women are in pain and should not have other peoples will forced on their life when they need help the most.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

absolutely.

Sadly, at least 1 in 3 woman have been sexually abused..

dewalliz said:

More than likely, that won't be the case for long. As a child, my sisters and I, as well as several cousins were victims of sexual abuse by an uncle. Even after going to adults about it, no one did anything. My grnadmother even walked in on my uncle abusing my oldest sister and continued to ignore it while it went on for years and years. Flash forward to present times and he is up to old tricks. He molested an eleven year old girl. His ass got sentenced to ONE YEAR in prison. Back on the damn streets to be free to do it again.

My props to Teri. She is one of us, a survivor, not a victim.

AndGodCreatedMe said:

...and it's not only women. Statistically, it is higher for women, but many researchers feel that is only because men who have been molested as children are even more reluctant to come forward.

Bravo to Terri for coming forward and stopping this sick fuck.

Romera said:

I know personally of a situation where a mother found out her daughters were being molested and ignored it because she got income from the molester God help the person if a child ever comes to me and confides in their abuse. I will do something about it. I cannot believe some people

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Its sad but easy to forget that some people do not have the strength of mind to do whats right.

jerseykrs said:

Sorry, I had to laugh.....but yeah the girl is looking too skinny.
I work for the county of Santa Clara and many different local papers have come in to the clerks office looking for material for their articles on Terri Hatchers molester.


M
[Edited 3/10/06 15:20pm]

jerseykrs said:

There is NOTHING wrong with being skinny.
SKINNY BITCHES UNITE!!!