Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1388

Tonight's special guest is Greg Tramontin from Kentucky, a child abuse survivor and 12 stepper who's telling his story with us for the first time. Born into a family with four children, Greg shares, "My father was psychologically and physically abusive very early." This escalated later when his mother died. "He really went crazy" My mother told us he was coming home to kill us but he came home and trashed the whole house and went ballistic." Their messy divorce lasted 12 years in court before finally being settled. During the divorce the kids were neglected and the family was divided. Greg says, "Whatever my father did my mother followed suit." His childhood trauma also came from outside the family. "I was abused by a neighbor that witnessed us being neglected and knew what he could get away with it." Then a tragedy stuck when Greg's older brother drowned saving Greg's life. He says, "I always believed that my parents blamed me for that but looking back they treated me like that before he died. During my grief over the death of my brother my mother took me to see a priest for counseling. He disguised his abuse of me as consolation. I told my mother but she didn't want to believe it." Greg still struggles in adult life with having relationships with his two daughters. "I have not been able to see my youngest child [because of a case that] has been tied up in court for several years. Five judges have excused themselves from the case and the prosecutor moved it to a court an hour away. The prosecutor did this just days after an arsonist burned my truck up." He concludes, "There are forces in the background working against me."