The study aims to understand the role of women that denounce sexual violence perpetrated by a community or kinship member against their son or daughter. The work presents results of semi structured interviews conducted with five mothers of children who were victims of intrafamiliar sexual violence. We used the content analysis of Bardin, which divides the results into four categories: fear, guilt, anger, doubt: first reactions to the disclosure; pain of truth becomes strength to act; instances of protection and guarantee of rights and expectations of support and resolution; and changes and going ahead. The motivations for protection arose from the strengthened maternal-filial bond, and recognition of the maternal duty to protect and care for their children. We emphasize the crucial role of institutions on the protection and guarantee of rights, and concluded that adversity and suffering led to changes in the way mothers face and understand life experiences.
Intrafamiliar Sexual Violence; Maternity; Gender