Content Warning: Frequent Child Sexual Abuse (CSA), physical abuse, mental abuse, rape, beastiallity, suicide ideation*
Mary Byler’s story is horrific and shocking, yet one of the reasons she is being so brave in sharing her story, is because it’s not uncommon. The Amish are often romanticized for their “plain” lifestyle, yet people don’t understand or know about the sheer terror facing the women and children of these communities. Extreme forms of purity culture combined with a no-questions-asked “always forgive and forget” policy and “under no circumstances get the police involved”, create a perpetrator’s paradise where SA is more common than not. It is time we break the silence and break the cycle.
Mary Byler’s story is horrific and shocking, yet one of the reasons she is being so brave in sharing her story, is because it’s not uncommon. The Amish are often romanticized for their “plain” lifestyle, yet people don’t understand or know about the sheer terror facing the women and children of these communities. Extreme forms of purity culture combined with a no-questions-asked “always forgive and forget” policy and “under no circumstances get the police involved”, create a perpetrator’s paradise where SA is more common than not. It is time we break the silence and break the cycle.