Cheryl Burke recalls the trauma of testifying against a childhood abuser

If Cheryl Burke was 9 years old, she testified in court against the guardian who raped her and her half-sister.

Ex Dancing with the stars Pro recalled the traumatic experience on the Monday, January 20 episode In the old way podcast.

“We were both sexually assaulted by the same person, the caretaker who was taking care of us,” Burke, 40, said. “And then my sister’s best friend ran home and told her mother. He was sentenced for this – he was supposed to be imprisoned for life, but he got out.”

During the trial, “I almost caught fire,” she continued. “I’ll never forget when I was testifying with this man sitting in front of me. They wouldn’t even let my mom come with me, which was so crazy. I was 9. And I thought to myself, “Am I doing this?” I was literally saying that to myself.”

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Burke added: “At the age of 9, I already felt that I was a pedophile. That’s how they felt about me.”

She explained during her In the old way the appearance that she is a “professional disconnector” as a result of her past trauma, which she is trying to come to terms with.

“There’s no, ‘Okay, I’m done with that part of my life,'” Burke said. “But I had done so much work that I couldn’t deal with the anger I had for this one person, that I felt like I was slowly dying, so some kind of peacekeeping action had to happen. Not condoning the act by any means, but I had to create something like, “Okay, this person was sick.”

However, she noted: “I do not forgive. I don’t want people to take it the wrong way, like I’m condoning molestation.”

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Burke has previously spoken about the abuse she experienced as a child in 2015 and then during the discussion of how the trials went affected her relationship with men as an adult.

She believes that in the future it will be more difficult for other victims to speak out against their abusers.

“It’s society today, man,” Burke said In the old wayadding, “Why would anyone want to come out and tell their truth when the victimized person feels they are doing something wrong?” And it’s so easy to push someone and this whole term of antiquity. It’s all bullshit, because it takes decades, if not lifetimes, to finally realize or realize that, “Yes, maybe I really was raped.”

She added: “There were no quick fixes to any of this. There is none. And I don’t want that to happen in any way. There is no medicine. There are no mushrooms. Trust me, I’ve tried everything. And it comes back tenfold if you don’t do the work, and it doesn’t hurt. It hurts. This work is painful.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact National Sexual Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).