She Survived The Abuse In Her Amish Community
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- čas přidán 23. 08. 2024
- Today in Unfiltered Stories, our guest Lizzie Hershberger bravely shares her story. Born into the Swartzentruber Amish community in Minnesota, Lizzie was unaware of any other way of life. Her early years were marked by severe challenges, including surviving abuse within the community. Despite the isolation, Lizzie's resilience shone through as she documented her experiences in a journal. This act of bravery helped her come forward and report her abuser, who was ultimately charged. Join us to hear how Lizzie has worked to heal and build a new path forward.
#survivorstories #trauma #healingjourney
Thank you for watching Unfiltered Stories! We offer a platform for our guests to speak openly about their life stories and journeys, shedding light on the challenges they faced and the resilience they've shown.
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I can feel exactly what she calls "the worst part". I've been called liar and bad things when I asked for help because my sociopath father was being agressive and destroying my life. People that I always loved and thought they loved me too... but, Lizzie, I still believe we are the right ones, and the consequence will always find its target.
I hug you, dear!
Even one incident of sexual abuse is detestable and should be reported and prosecuted. The memory of sexual abuse never goes away. It should be prosecuted as the most detestable form of theft with assault.
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Exactly, Lizzie. Even if you, as a child, had “enticed” the grown, adult man, why didn’t they hold him accountable as well? Get so upset with these ridiculous double standards and victim blaming/shaming. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that abuse and trauma. Thank you for sharing your story.🩵
A 14 year old is a child. That is statutory rape plain and simple.
many Amish women are telling their stories now we know the truth about the sickness in these communities than you for telling your story
As a fellow SA survivor I'd like to say, I'm so sorry that happened to you. You are never at fault. You deserved to be believed. I believe you. Adults blaming children for their abuse is the worst kind of cowardice. You deserved better. We all did. You are wonderfully brave. Speak your Truth always. Hugs
Thank you for sharing this story. Unfortunately the Amish are no different than the Catholic church when it comes to covering up their crimes involving children. It's pure evil to blame the victim, and sadly many victims never receive Justice. 💔
100% true! raised catholic when i told my sisters husbands was grooming n touching me i lost my family to denial
This happens in Protestant churches also,
@andrear7945: it happens for sure in many so called christian communities, cults and churches....don´t blaime it on catholic church alone, because its everywhere in all these religious groups for sure.
Unfortunately, this isn't just an Amish problem. I grew up during the 70s and this was taboo. My abuser said the police wouldn't believe the kids. I tried to tell a friend and her mother would never let her speak to me again. I got help when I went away to college
How heartbreaking that nearly all biblical-based communities are so rife with corruption & sin.
😢😭😭😭
Yes it does happen everywhere. The point of her story is that the Amish community hides the atrocities. They don't bring law enforcement into their lives. I'm sorry it happened to you.
@LoriKasprzak-kc7xc... They aren't really "biblically based". They may have when they began but for decades it's based more on tradition.
Tradition and being biblically based have nothing in common.
Amish is like a cult. Not Christian
The men seem to get away with anything. The women are punished
Aww, don't cry, precious. We believe you. ❤
Lizzie you are brave for reporting what happened to you and talking hopefully you will help so many and help give courage
The group of Amish she was raised in is THE most strict. I feel bad for anyone growing up this way. That is ANYTHING but Godly (which they claim to be). I pray she can be healed of this abuse and be able to live the rest of her years in peace.
may godly
I’m sorry you had to go through all that pain. You’re a hero for coming forward ❤
When a whole community suppresses women , it is for the women to defy it , protect their daughters and worse come to the worst they can shun their community just as the community shuns them. That is protecting their dignity and freedom- every human being's right.
That’s the big problem when women are suppressed - there’s lots of abuse, and nothing is ever done. Everyone needs equal rights and equal responsibilities.
How on earth can they say that you enticed anyone when you were a child? . Not only that the clothes Amish wear cover up anything remotely enticing. Innocent children are innocent angels ! 😢
I’m so sorry hun. I’m sending you huge hugs. I hope you find healing and peace. ❤
The sad truth is the Amish are as enlightened as the Pharisees were. They are a works based religion, and are blind leading the blind. I’m glad she escaped their deceptions!
Thank you Lizzie, for sharing your story. Especially speaking to the destruction of victim blaming. We can recover from so much if we have a safe refuge of people. We need to hear over and over "it's not your fault". ❤
I have read your book and it is amazing!
❤wow what a Woman ❤so brave and beautifully strong Thankyou❤ Thankyou ❤Thankyou ❤
Thx for your courage and your truth🙏
Wonderful woman you are not alone, I hear you and believe you. You did nothing to deserve that at all. You are brave and true, a beacon to many. ❤️🌷❤️
My daughter was babysat by an amish family while i attended college classes. Im well aware of the bad things that happen. Many decent Amish people are abused by the men in their sects. One of the sons was shunned by their elders but his parents snuck over for visits. His daughter married our cousin. She's a super sweet girl & we love her family. I'd help any of them in a heartbeat if they ever needed it.
How wrong of your community to blame you. You were a child and a victim!! I’m incredibly sorry for the violations that you endured. God loves you so deeply, may you experience His approval of you and His peace.
I am so sorry this happened to you. I think you are strong and brave.
I’m so sorry for all you have gone through
Lizzie speaks of her abandonment by her community. This is an additional level of harm called betrayal trauma. The very people one leans on for support and belonging turn on her. It’s profoundly disorienting and gut-wrenching.
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I am
So sorry. Bless your precious heart. I am so proud of your courage!
I am so sorry this happened to you by those hypocrites! God knows what he did! Justice and peace to you! God is a healer! Amen
I believe and stand by your testimony. So sorry. Keep shouting your truth.
Heartbreaking. Thanks for sharing.
I always thought the Amish were a cult! They didn't want their dirty, BIG secret out--not Ur fault!
Not all the AMish are like this
Thank you for sharing. ❤❤
Shocking!!
It is so sad that so many are suffering from abuse. The Amish are for the most part left to their own devices to dish out their own idea of punishment. Nobody should be above the law. Unfortunately there are good and bad in every society. My two sisters and I suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of my parents. We were never sexually abused but we were told that we were not wanted because we were girls and not boys. It is still hard for me to feel accepted. I am glad that you had the strength to leave your community.
I happen to live in the state of Ohio and heard about the case of Eli Weaver who was an Amish member in Pennsylvania. He was an abuser to many women and he abused his wife too. He received prison. Thanks, Lizzy for sharing your story and may you find happiness and much peace ☮️ ❤🦋🦄🙏🌈😊🍀✝️🖤❤️🩹🩵🇹🇨🏴🇬🇧🇺🇸. 17:40
Thank you for your bravery ❤
What in the world 😮😮😮😮how is that even possible
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There are Amish families around us in Ohio and I worry about the kids all the time.
I saw her on the CZcams channel Cults to coconciousness with Shelise Sola.
Children in those communities are totally abandoned. Have authorities thought how they could help them? They exist and they are growing with a lot of traumas.
Thank you
2:30 Weird editing hurts this. I wanted to know what a "hired girl is", looks like she was going to explain it and then they just cut her off and jump all over the place in the convo.
It's a younger girl hired to help out another family. Her at age 14.
amish kids finish school at 14....then they have to get a job in the community....she got hired to work in someone's house
Very well said! I believe it’s other former Amish who are a great hindrance to these stories. Their hope seems to be that if they make peace with the Amish they won’t get shunned as severely by them.
Victim blaming is universal in religion and secular circles.
If the Amish are do religious why do they abuse the girls ? Is that their little secret??? And then they wonder why do many leaving their Flock , put the ABUSERS in JAIL
Thank you,you are a beautiful heroine ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Prayers for strength and courage 🙏 That community is being controlled by demons. God will smite them.
Thanks for sharing your story. I can confirm that there are good people that are religious and bad people that are religious.
What’s sad is I found out that many bad people use religion as a way to get people to trust them without question and people that believe that bad person is religious and won’t confront them or report them because they don’t think anyone will believe them or the religion doesn’t want you to go to the police.
So bad people use religion to gain power over others and take advantage of no one wanting to give their religion a bad name.
It’s sad what happens to the victims when they do try to speak out about what happened to them. Especially, being raped. Rape victims are treated like there’s something wrong with them for being raped or they provoked the rape by what they wear or they were too friendly so they were flirting. It’s like being punished twice for being raped. It’s awful. Just blame the victim, but don’t blame the predator.
I’m glad you spoke up and reported it. Wrote a book and published it. Now you are helping others. You won. ❤
No. There is No objective reality/ religious or not religious. We are All individuations of God. The Power Is in the choosing : ❤ Love Or Fear ...in All of us! We are All mini solar- systems!!!
Heart- mind coherence creates
Not listening to anyone but the slence within
Sure some groups are Safe to experience this in and Be human at our highest potential
Every child needs the space to experience themself safely as Loved which means autonomy of thought where intuition is Crystal ❤
So sorry that happened to you, and that so many turned their backs on you. How horrible.
Did you ever find your father?
God don't like ugly he will face the consequences of what he did to you
I believe her mom went through the same thing. Sadly, these grown men prey on young girls. Working for a grown man at the age of 14 unattended. The mom knew.
Same with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I don't know what religion the Amish R--they're own? They'll surely answer to the one GOD!
Hired girls are workers to help with chores. When treated well and they do their jobs well it earns them respect in their community. Both sides. M arr
I am so sorry you Went through this terrible ordeal, please never give up on speaking about this you are helping so many others who are going through this. You are helping them to speak up get out of this situation. You belonged to a cult, who don’t go be the scriptures they make up their own rules hide behind religion. They are worshiping satin the devil.
Cult
I grew up almost Amish. My great grand parents I knew lived like the Amish but weren't Amish. M arr
Wish this did not have distracting annoying music going.
Please don't cry about these "episodes".
They were NEVER your fault.
They have never been your fault.
And I cannot believe you that you were promiscuous.
You know what ? I think, that you were violated from earliest childhood and there was nobody to cuddle with you or console you when you were distressed ... the worst thing is, in my opinion, that there was nobody you felt you could confide in.
I am VERY, VERY sorry for you. 🙏😔😢
Lizzie first that's a wild last name second I hope ur doing fine now third I hope at some point ur uncles face the truth of what they did
CSA in early childhood, for me, led to sexualized thoughts way too early. It isn’t our fault.
In these CULTS...AMISH...
MENNONITES ....any time one leaves one is COMPLETELY IGNORED
(as if one doesn't exist)
Yep...shunning is He_l !?!!!
Yes...ive been out of Holdemanennonites 11 years ago and still when O see my daughter....theres something....🥴😱🤢
Sweetie...ITS NOT YOUR FAULT !!!!
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It sounds like the Amish community needs education that also has empathy for their cultural differences
RELIGION FREE HERE...................................................no regrets
They wanted to blame the child because it justified their wrongs that they wanted to continue with no accountability. Not realizing the burden of dhame left upon the young girl when she becomes a woman.
WHY did your parents allow you to work for somebody if this was common knowledge that it was going on? Why did they not at least have a talk with you before hand and say if this happens stand up against it. Doesn't the Amish bible say the same as the King James that we are to flee FORNICATION? I just hate that you got hurt like that because I too had been used years ago by someone who had given me a job.
This is quite a surprise. I don't know much about the Amish but I always had an image of them as very Bible oriented and righteous. This was terrible.
I always feel off about extremely religious communities I know that there is some hidden abuse under it....
"I have wrote a book"?! Good English is, "I have WRITTEN a book."
@tugaroocrab... Just let it go!
You think some of us didn't notice it! 😠
It's a dialect!
You're pathetic.
I wrote,
I have written.
Pathetic.
Of all of the places to choose to be the grammar police! After hearing this story THIS is what disturbs you? It’s a good thing for society that people like you, who are able to focus on what is truly important, are here! Good grief.
😢😢Same with mennonites, brethren and more plain, religious groups
They every where and they need JESUS
This is sick. That’s why religion is failing. How can these ppl be “holy” allowing things like this. Glad you got away. Ughh.