This is a terrible situation that your uncle created. Your abuser ruined his own life, he wrecked his own marriage, he tore his family apart and he deeply and irrevocably violated you. He knew what he was doing was wrong. You are in no way responsible for what happened or how your family members deal with it.

Feeling guilt is normal. All of us in this forum have felt the guilt that should belong to our abuser. It's how we are, it's who we are but we all have to learn to let it go, put it down, it's not ours to carry.

Sounds like you have a very smart, very loving father. You did the right thing 100 percent. I'm so happy you're going to see some actual legal justice, that's not always available to a victim. What's more: You SAVED potential victims. When we don't speak up, when we just ignore our gut instincts, more children are hurt, more people become victims. You are strong, brave, heroic. You've made the world a safer place and you've made your family safer too. You inspire me.

What you've done is not just hard, it's impossible. You may not feel proud about that now, but one day you will. No matter what your family doles out, no matter what misdirected hostility comes your way, they are wrong. Some folks show their true colors in times of crisis and some people won't be on your side. You don't need them. You need support and it sounds like you've got some great parents. Take solace in that. Anyone else who is angry with you can be as grumpy and fussy as they want, they certainly won't commit a crime against you because they know you're not gonna take it -- you're the family member who prosecutes. The buck stops with you.

You feel bad for your abuser because you're a good person and you actually take responsibility. You don't want to hurt anybody. You just want to live and love your life. That's a wonderful thing. Your abuser isn't a good person. They live their life to victimize others, they rob others of joy to suit their own needs, they don't care about how other people feel or how their actions can injure a person so deeply. He doesn't deserve your sympathy. He ruined his own life.

Again: You've saved potential victims. You are much stronger than most people. You've inspired me today and I thank you for that.