Was sexually assaulted by my father as a child: DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal

Speaking at an award function, Maliwal said, "My father used to sexually abuse me. When he used to come home, I used to be scared. I still remember spending so many nights under the covers, trembling with fear. Even then, I used to think what could I do to teach such men a lesson."

New Delhi:Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Swati Maliwal made a shocking statement on Saturday that her father used to sexually abuse her during her childhood and if it was not for her mother, grandparents, and her other kin, she would not have been able to come of the traumatic experience.

Speaking at a felicitation ceremony organized by the DCW at the Delhi Habitat Centre, Maliwal said, "My father used to sexually abuse me. When he used to come home, I used to be scared. I still remember spending so many nights under the covers, trembling with fear. And I used to think what could I do to teach such men a lesson."

"I cannot forget those days. My father used to come home angry and hit me without any reason. He used to hold my hair and smash me into a wall. I used to bleed but even then I used to think, even during the torture, how to teach a lesson to such people. If it was not for my mother, my aunt and uncle, and most of all my grandparents, I don't think I would have been able to come out of this childhood trauma and achieve what I have achieved," she added.

Later in the day, when asked how young she was when she had to face the ordeal, Maliwal said: "I was quite young. Till class 4, I was with my father and it happened several times during those days," she said.

Maliwal said she believes that when someone is tortured, "a fire is lit in that person". "And if that fire is shown the right way, the person can achieve a lot. All the awardees who are among us today have a powerful story behind them. Behind each of them is one such struggle. They learned how to fight the challenges their life threw at them. They were able to change their lives for the good," she said.

Addressing all the women who received the awards on behalf of DCW, Maliwal said that they should not tolerate any atrocities or any kind of exploitation against them. Any exploitation by any person, be it in your home or outside, you should raise your voice against it," he said.