Tears of the Silenced: A true crime and an American tragedy; severe child abuse and leaving the Amish

After being sexually assaulted by the bishop of my Amish church, I made a dash for a tiny police station in rural Minnesota. As a result, I found myself plummeted out into the strange modern world. Based on a courageous true story.

When I was six years old my family started dressing like the Amish, it was the beginning of a nightmare. A few years later we moved to a mountain ranch where my sister and I were subjected to almost complete isolation, sexual abuse, and extreme physical violence.

In my late teens, my parents feared we would escape and took us to an Amish community where we were adopted and became baptized members. I was devastated to once again find myself in a world of fear, sexual abuse, animal cruelty and other crimes. Going to the police was forbidden.

A few years later I was sexually assaulted by the bishop of my church. I knew I had to get help and one morning in early March I made a dash for a tiny police station in rural Minnesota. As a result, I found myself plummeted into the strange modern world with only a second-grade education and no form of identification.