Revisiting incidents of sexual abuse you experienced as a child might be cathartic, but it might also be extremely difficult. The pain tends to increase when you look at the exact details of what happened.
Still, it is often important to go back and review memories and evidence. Most abusers are less than forthcoming about the pain they have caused, some even to the point that they have re-written their own histories. It is up to plaintiffs to bring the truth to light.
Computer evidence
There are various types of computer evidence that could support your pursuit of justice against a sexual abuser. Depending on the years in which you suffered the abuse, the exact type might vary. However, most would have to do with internet chat services or SMS chats.
Potential sources with relatively easy access would be old home computers or handheld devices. It is relatively difficult to destroy data entirely on storage media. Chances are that you did not do so if you still have the device.
In the event that you do not have any old devices in storage at your childhood home, you might have records through online services. It is possible that you could even recover messages that the abuser deleted, depending on the service in question.
Other evidence
Abuse cases, like many other civil cases, rely on a wide variety of evidence. Here are some examples:
- Documentation of camping trips and other, similar outings
- Work or volunteering records
- Phone company logs
- Relevant testimony from parties close to the survivor or defendant
Sometimes, evidence that is not immediately available becomes accessible with the right investigative methods and forensic data recovery techniques. Your case may be stronger than you expect.