NEW YORK, NY -- People who doubt Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's testimony, ask why she never reported it. Experts tell us that sexual assault victims often do not report for many reasons.
For children, it's even harder to report abuse.
"I was 12 and my uncle just like molested me. Both times I was with my cousin," said Mary Sigler, who's now 21.
She was sexually assaulted in 2009 by her uncle, Michael Gardner. He and his wife, Robin Gardner, and their children were very close with Mary's family.
Mary's father is Robin Gardner's twin. The Siglers lived in New Jersey and the two families often spent holidays together.
The assault happened over Thanksgiving weekend in 2009 when the Siglers were visiting the Gardners in their Falls Church, Va. home.
"Huge part of my life, my uncle was a huge part of my life, my aunt and my cousins were as well. And this authority figure doing something like that, you have no idea how to react, what to do, what to say, Like, I didn't say anything to him after the fact. Didn't say anything to my parents," said Mary.
Mary didn't tell anyone because she didn't think anyone would believe her. She didn't want to hurt her cousin, and worried it would tear apart the family.
"Do you take a chance and risk destroying the family dynamic? I didn't know what was going to happen if I said anything," she said.
Mary was right. She hasn't seen her cousins in years.
"I just want my cousins to know that I miss them. And that I love them and that, I hope, that someday, I'll be able to see them again," she said through tears.
She loves her cousins and her aunt Robin and hopes to rekindle their relationships.
Several years after Mary was molested, Gardner was convicted of sexually assaulting three other girls. When his conviction was thrown out, Mary finally came forward. Six years after her assault.
"I got up there and I was so scared. And I was so nervous. An was just like, now I'm in position of power, like, whatever I say, I can just speak the truth," said Mary.
Her testimony helped lead to Gardner pleading guilty to molesting all four girls, including Mary.
Testifying in court was empowering for Mary.
"I could just look him in the face and say, 'this is what you did.' This is what it did to me, I hope you feel sorry, I hope you feel ashamed. You know? And he could not look at me," she said.
But, she said she didn't do it for herself, but for the other girls.
"I had found a place that I was okay now. (She had been through severe depression and even suicidal thoughts.) For them, I realized they were still going through it. So I was like, if anyone needs the strength to get through it, it's them," Mary said with a smile.
She believes the other girls who did come forward "saved me from carrying this with me through the rest of my life."
Michael Gardner is serving a 20-year sentence for sexually assaulting the four girls.
Mary Sigler said she forgives her uncle, but would never say that to his face because she does not want to see him again.
"It's almost been nine years. Nine years is a long time to be hating someone and to hold on to something like that," she said. "That only way I was able to move forward with my life was to forgive him."
