Adopted - Abused

I was adopted at age 8, together with my brother, age 11, and my sister, age 12. My biological mother died when I was 7 years old. My father was an alcoholic. To take care of us, he stopped working, but began to drink more and more. One day, our neighbours reported him to the police, and because he was drunk at the time, he signed papers abandoning us. I did not understand with my child's eyes why his sister, who had 2 sons and who had a better life in Seoul, did not help us. Perhaps could she not? We stayed 8 months in the Inchon orphanage of Holt.We were destined for the United States, but a 40 year old French couple adopted us. We arrived in France on August 24, 1983.

Unfortunately, I was placed into a dysfunctional family!

I suffered domestic violence. My father beat my mother. I was a victim of incest from 11 to 14 years old by my grandfather on my mother’s side. The worst part of all this was that when I revealed my abuse, nobody believed me, while my mother was herself a victim of her husband! They left me alone in this nightmare that destroyed my adolescence! They did not even send me to a therapist! My mother often humiliated me, sometimes even in public. She did everything she could to divide us. We were getting along so well until she told us three weeks after our arrival in France "stop, you are in France, it is finished with Korea, you must speak French." She set us against each other, so now I have no contact with my brother. Her law was "divide and conquer".

It is true that I was a child traumatized by my past and that we all had our problems. I admit it. At home, I stood up to my mother while in public I was introverted and shy (I blushed at the slightest remark!). And my mother was authoritarian and blamed my behaviour. But many children are like that, right? My father was a coward and was only good for a salary! I found out later it was my mother who had completed all the procedures for adoption and that my father only signed the papers! I’m still convinced that my mother thought she could save their relationship by adopting us, and that my father would learn to control his temper, but unfortunately he failed! As the saying goes "driving his natural running back.” It was my father who could not have children! My brother and sister defended my mother and received the punches of course. My mother was taking anti-depressants and we had to comfort her! You know how men who beat their wives have two faces and are socially integrated and diplomats! The whole family made us feel that we should “owe” them forever for being adopted: they took us out of misery and saved my sister and me from a life of prostitution.

People often say to me "but your parents must be great people, they did not separate you" (unbearable sentence for me).

So I would like to reply: "Oh if you only knew what hell I experienced!" Sometimes I think what my life could have been if I had stayed in Korea and my aunt had helped us, or if we had been adopted by an American couple. Sometimes there remains in me the little girl who is constantly crying for her mother, and who has still not stopped her grieving.

We were not very accepted into my father’s family. His father was racist and he called us "yellow". His mother preferred her little blonde French daughter, of course, and she did not want my parents to adopt black children!

Yet, I can assure you that we were reasonable children who were not delinquent. How many times we had wanted to call the police! My mother did not recognize herself as a victim; never wanted to divorce or complain... I lived in fear and terror! I thought about running away, but was afraid of being sent back again to an orphanage!

Because of a constantly violent family environment, my sister tried committing suicide at 18. And again, my parents did nothing to help her or to consult a psychologist. Indeed, they considered psychiatrists sick people.

The verbal abuse between my mother and my brother began reaching its peak and my mother no longer wanted to support him. My parents decided to kick my brother out at the age of 20 years. My sister and I did not even have the right to call him or my mother would have a hysterical fit! I left the house at 20 because I could no longer tolerate the climate of abuse and violenceWe were sacrificed children in the name of the father and grandfather. Love is unknown in this family ! I just realized recently that it is a family of manipulators and makers of stories!

All that to say that I fell ill and my adoption is what might be called a failed adoption. I voluntarily cut all ties with my family 8 years ago and consider myself a double orphan! My only family is my sister. Myself, I have a past that will haunt me forever.

I thank my parents for having followed me to school, for having fed me, for housing me and doing laundry, but I do not thank them for adopting me. I sometimes would have preferred to stay in my misery, as they say! I did not choose them: they selected me!

If I want to testify today, it’s because I want to break this wall of silence that hurt me too much! I have spoken of my sufferings for only two years ... and have remained silent for 17 years! You cannot imagine how liberating it is to finally have a voice!

I wish to express my willingness to move forward despite all the traumas I have suffered.I think some egocentric parents should not adopt children! Maybe the regulations were not as severe in my time.

I realize older sibling group is atypical !

I feel that failed adoptions are a taboo subject that few adopted children dare speak of! I'm sorry if my words may offend some adoptive parents and if they perceive that I am advocating my misfortunes. But it is the story of my life!

I read books by Barbara Monestier, Christian Demortier, and Johnny Subrock and I thank them for writing their history. Their experience also convinced me to testify, although each story is unique. Mine resembles that of Christian or even more than Johnny Subrock.  

Thank you in advance for reading my story. I hope you will understand the meaning of my testimony.

From as early as I remember (before my adoption) I was subjected to emotional, psychological, verbal and physical abuse by my foster mom who later became my adopted mom.  Both parents drank alcohol daily and believed in corporal punishment. My father hit me also. But not nearly as bad as she did. And she constantly put me down, let me know I wasn't good enough.

My worst beating occured during the summer I was 13. My mother beat me with a board so badly that my backside was black & blue from top to bottom and side to side. I had difficulty sitting down for several days.  One friend saw the bruises, but I swore her to secrecy.  All she could say was, "Oh my God, Robin!" 

Police officers came to my junior high. They asked me if my parents hit me; did I had any bruises & could I show them.  Fortunately, I didn't have any bruises. "Fortunately".  Of course I denied that my parents hit me. I was scared to death that when my parents found out I'd 'really get it!'    

I got pregnant at 16 by the only boy I'd ever dated. My adopted mom told me I was a "tramp & a whore, just like your mother!"

Two days after my dad died, my mom disowned me by leaving a message on my voice mail.

I was told every day that I was a mental deficient just like my real mother.  That I was nothing and would never be anything.  I was told that I was the most ugly child they had ever seen.  I was beaten, strangled, whipped, publicly and privately humiliated.  I was locked in a room and not allowed to socialize.  I ran away at 16 and went to court to declare myself an emancipated youth.

What kinds of Abuse was I subjected to? Better question would be is there any you were not subjected to!

I was Sexually Molested by my Adopted Father from the age of 3 until 6 years old!

I was Sexually Molested by an Older Foster Brother,

I was Sexually molested by my Amoms Natural Son for many years after that....All in All, That is from the age of 3 until around 13 years old!

Mentally and physically Abused by AStepfather from 13 until about 17, He would always tell me what

"A piece of shit I was, That I was no Good, That he would kill me, that he hated me, Anything to belittle me!"

Where was my Amom during this wickedness? Either she would be working or somewhere Else...Though I did tell her of the physiacl abuse, She lived in Denial as she was Abused herself by the man she adopted me with!

But the worst were those weekly physical beatings! Every Single weekend that He could get drunkl enough at....Punches in the face, Bloody Lips, Wind knocked out of me, Bloody noses, Knocked down to the ground and dragged about the house....Once He could knock me down to the Ground, He than took great Effort to kick me anywhere he could...Slammed my head down on the Bathroom Sink---Blood everywhere! Luckily that was witnessed by someone and stopped!

He was a Very Violent weekend Alcoholic!

His name is Jack F, My Afamily is Gone now but this Scumbag still lives...How can that be?!

Slapping, Punching, Violent Shaking, Hair-pulling, Ear-pulling, Kicking, Throwing, Hitting with various objects (stick, belt, wooden spoon, hot curling iron, fly-swatter) from age 3 to age 19

Threatened with knife, threaten to be beaten until "the blood comes out," among other verbal threats from age 3 to age 17

Humiliation, degradation, physical and verbal abuse in public; referred to as having "emotional problems," told that I was just like my birth mother while speaking ill of her.  age 3 to age 34

Sexual abuse by older foster child #1, attempted rape by older foster child #2 (when I was around age 10).  Blamed for it when I talked about it at 19.

Controlled social interactions, friends had to be kids from our church or a similar church, not allowed to join activities such as Girls Scounts.  Forced to play piano in church; not allowed to play classical music, only religious music.  Television was strictly censored to programs adopters liked, as was music.

Sexual, Knife in me, Guns shot at me, Mental, Etc. 16 years of it.

I was subjected to physical and mental abuse at the hands of my adoptive parents From June 1974 to December 1981.  The mental abuse continued from my adoptive mother from June 1974 and continued up to February 1993.  I also suffered sexual abuse from my adoptive parent's oldest biological son from 1977 to 1980.

From April 1978 until October 1984 I was sexually and physcially abused by my adopted parents. They both had been found mentally unfit to adopt me but through private adoption were able to get me. I was kept in an attic with no light which was freezing cold in the winter and stiffling hot in the summer. I was starved alot of times as well. I was not allowed in the living room or kitchen except to clean. My life was such a nightmare that sleep became my only friend.

Constant verbal abuse by both aparents. Physical abuse by afather until 14. Afather would put us in dangerous situations (example: line us up and shoot at us with live ammo, told to hold still). Afather set my play house on fire (with me in it) when I was five (he needed the insurance money). A passerby saw the fire and got me out. Afather was not happy. I cut all ties with aparents when I was 19.

As an adoptee I was subjected to mental, emotional, physical, and financial abuse.

From the age of 4 until 12 years I have subject on sexual abuse by my adopted brother and later by the new boyfriend of my adopted mother

From 1979 to 1983, I was sexually abused by my father. From 1979 to 1989, I was subjected to verbal, emotional and physical abuse by my alcoholic mother. From 1983 to 1989, I was verbally abused by my father.

From approximately 1967 to 1976 I was subjected to on-going sexual abuse at the hands of my father.