CONTENT WARNING: The following article discusses sexual assault.
Welsh singer-songwriter Aimee Duffy has taken to Instagram today, saying she was drugged, raped and held captive over several days by an unidentified person.
Duffy begins the post by addressing her absence from the public eye over the past decade, saying “Many of you wonder what happened to me, where did I disappear to and why.”
She goes on to explain that she was contacted by a journalist and opened up about her experience.
“The truth is, and please trust me I am ok and safe now, I was raped and drugged and held captive over some days. Of course I survived. The recovery took time. There’s no light way to say it. But I can tell you in the last decade, the thousands and thousands of days I committed to wanting to feel the sunshine in my heart again, the sun does now shine.
“You wonder why I did not choose to use my voice to express my pain? I did not want to show the world the sadness in my eyes. I asked myself, how can I sing from the heart if it is broken? And slowly it unbroke.”
The ‘Mercy’ singer, who released acclaimed debut album Rockferry in 2008 before following it up with Endlessly in 2010, says she will be posting a spoken interview over the following weeks that goes into the ordeal.
“Please respect this is a gentle move for me to make, for myself, and I do not want any intrusion to my family. Please support me to make this a positive experience,” she concludes.
See the full statement below.
If you need assistance, 1800 RESPECT – the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service — can be reached on 1800 737 732.
For help or information regarding mental health, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
