GiGi

Hi everyone, Since I’ve already gone half of the distance of posting the behavioural signs and symptoms of childhood sexual abuse, I figure I might as well go the rest of the way and post the physical signs and symptoms of sexual abuse in children. Sexual behavior or knowledge that's inappropriate for the child's age Pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection Blood in the child's underwear Statements that he or she was sexually abused Trouble walking or sitting Pain or discomfort in the genital/anal area Redness, swelling, discharge or bleeding of the genital/rectal area Abuse of other children sexually Hemorrhaging or petechiae (tiny ruptured blood vessels that appear like little red spots) in the child’s mouth. Round purple/red type bruising at the back of the child’s throat. Difficulty swallowing Hyperactive spitting and rinsing of the child’s mouth and hands. Direct aversion to having the child’s mouth or body touched. Stomach pains, headaches and other pains of unknown origin. Excessive gagging or hyperactive gagging response when an object is placed in the child’s oral cavity Vaginal or anal trauma (including vaginal/rectal tears, fissures, fistulas, infections or discharge) I hope this helps anyone who might need this information.Â

Hi Julie54, You are correct. There would have been blood on Eva's underware, pants, bedding and nightclothes. She also would have had trouble walking. I am surprised that her mother never noticed any of the physical signs that I am sure that Eva must have been exhibiting.

 Hi ShazScott1980, I guess I find it very difficult to believe that Nathan had that much power over the household staff. If any of them had been raped or beaten by Nathan, then why on green earth would they stick around for another go around with this kid? Domestic staffing jobs tend to be pretty easy to find and as adults I would think that they would have chosen self preservation over having to deal with a child like that.  What kind of physical build did this kid have? Was he some type of huge imposing figure or was he skinny, thin or what? I just can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that no one ever tried to discipline this kid. I do suppose my European roots are showing. If any one of us ever disrespected our elders, we got the wooden spoon, a strap, a belt, a boot to the butt. No I am not condoning violence toward children at all, but it seems like Nathan got away with murder. No one ever seemed to take any action against his behaviours.  If I was an employee working in that household and Nathan tried to rape me, like it or not I would have punched him in the face, kicked him in the b***s, done what I needed to to get myself out of that situation alive. What do you think?Â

 Hi Sylvia, That's my point exactly. Why did the servants do nothing? What on earth was Nathan holding over them to keep their silence? Why did no one step in to help Eva? What kind of monster was Nathan? Wasn't there anyone in the entire household staff that was willing to stand up to a sixteen year old kid? That boggles my mind!!

  Hi Sylvia and everyone, I just wanted to clarify that when I was referring to Nathan being in jail, I wasn’t referring to Nathan’s past crimes. We have all been wildly speculating about what Nathan was using (i.e. the video tapes and photos) in his attempt to extort monies from Gideon, Stanton and maybe Monica. I was hoping that Gideon and the crew "a.k.a." Monica and Stanton could have formulated some type of plan to get Nathan to commit a crime that he could be charged with. I was basing my theory that if Nathan actually did commit said crime then Gideon et. al. could have gone to the police with their claims and evidence and as such Nathan would have been arrested. Then if Nathan was arrested, I was sure that he probably wouldn't have been eligible for bail or that no one would step up to help him post bail, which would have left Nathan in jail and Eva safe. I also based my theory on the assumption that Nathan probably would not have had any money and therefore wouldn't have been able to post bail. If Nathan had money, then why would he need to kick up a hornets nest and try to extort money from Gideon, Stanton and maybe Monica.  Thus far, some of us thought that Nathan might have videotaped or taken photos of Eva while he was raping her. I know that this is wild speculation but nothing else seems to rise to the level of someone considering paying off a blackmailer. If that was the case, then Nathan could possibly be charged with possessing and attempting to distribute child . I was wondering if you would be so kind as to answer just one question please: Did Nathan videotape and photograph his crimes against Eva.  If I am to read and understand you’re posting correctly, then Nathan did videotape and photograph his crimes with Eva. If that is the case then how on earth would Nathan not be eligible for child charges? That doesn’t seem to make sense. If Gideon and Stanton and perhaps Monica had copies of these crimes then couldn’t they go to the police and have charges laid against Nathan?  Holy cow!!! I am glad that my instincts weren’t wrong about this. I am also incredibly sad and sickened by the level of Nathan’s depravity.  Thank you for your time.

Hi everyone, Someone in an earlier post asked what some of the behavioral signs of sexual abuse are. I went back and did a little research and have categorized them into two age categories; behavioral signs and of children who are under the age of 8 and for those children who are over the age of 8 through to adolescence. I hope this helps.  Category A: Behavioral Sign of Sexual Abuse in Children 8 Years of Age and Under: Crying spells Nightmares or night terrors Excessive fear Fear of sleeping alone Hyperactivity Eating disorders Thumb or object sucking Bed wetting Soiling of oneself Language regression Sexual talk Sexual acting out or posturing Excessive masturbation Behavioral changes at school (grades dropping, acting out, fear in school, trouble concentrating) Excessive fear of men or women Sadness or depression Suicidal thought Extreme nervousness Hypochondria  Category B: Behavioral Signs of Sexual Abuse in Children 8 Years of Age through to Adolescence Fear of being alone Peer problems Frequent fights with family members Poor self-esteem Memory problems Intrusive recurrent thoughts like flashbacks Excessive nervousness Excessive guilt or shame Mood swings Overly compliant behaviour Suicidal thoughts or gestures Self-mutilation Hyper-alertness Substance abuse Avoidant or phobic behaviour Sexual acting out Refusal to change into gym clothes Violent fantasies After having looked at both of these lists, I have to wonder how on earth Monica or Elizabeth Vidal did not notice any of these symptoms in their children?! Both Eva and Gideon demonstrated a lot of these symptoms as a result of the abuse that they had to endure. I am surprised; that no one in these children’s lives didn’t notice any behavioral changes.  I am simply flabbergasted by how far reaching the level of neglect was for these two.  Yet again, it is clear that neither Monica nor Elizabeth Vidal will ever be nominated for Mother of the Year. I really hope that Sylvia provides the reader with some kind of insight as to what was going on in both Eva and Gideon’s lives. There is so much information that is still missing for me. Having this kind of information would help me to understand how Gideon’s personality was formed and what makes him tick. What does everyone think?Â

Hi everyone, I think that if Gideon plotted and planned Nathan's murder then we are talking about an entirely different scenario than if he killed Nathan in self defence. That would be a hard thing to justify from my perspective. I am not so sure that I would want to root for a character that could be that cold and calculated. I have said it before and I will say it again, I will wait until June 4th to read for myself that Gideon killed Nathan. I find it all too suspicious that Sylvia would release such a storyline bomb so close to the release of her next book, especially since she has been so tight lipped about this entire subject.Â

Good point!

Hi everyone, Something else just struck me as odd. How come Detective Graves was confirming to Eva that she was in immediate danger and that Nathan would have killed her. Why was Detectove Graves being so "helpful" and forthcoming with information?  Can we the reader really trust what she was saying or was she trying to get a reaction out of Eva for her own purposes that being the investigation of Gideon for Nathan's murder? What does everyone think?Â

Hi Peachies, I think that the only flaw to that arguement is that Gideon planned Nathan's murder step by step by step. I don't see how that could be considered as self defense.  If Nathan had approached Eva and Gideon stepped in to protect Eva, then absolutely, but given all the circumstances; nathan staying at one of Gideon's hotels, Nathan attempting to blackmail Gideon, Monica and Stanton, Cary being attacked, Gideon discussing something with Monica, Gideon pushing Eva away and starting to be seen with Corinne socially, throwing the Kingsman Vodka Party, the kitchen fire at the hotel and Gideon's 30 minute absence all add up to premeditation to me(again, until I read it for myself on June 4th I will believe in Gideon's innocence). What do you think? What does everyone think?

 Hi Peachies, I was wondering about that. I always thought that if Eva did have visits with her father, that Monica had one of her staff deliever or drop Eva off with her dad or pick her up from her visits. Somehow I never saw Monica as a PTA kind of mother and as such I don't think that she would have been actively involved in seeing Victor on a weekly basis if Eva saw her father. Somehow I almost think that would have been beneath Monica. Or maybe it was too painful for her or Victor because they had feelings for one another. Or maybe the "husband of the day" didn't want Monica to have contact with Eva's father...who knows.  All I know for sure is that as a mother, Monica stunk during Eva's early years and she stinks now because she failed to tell her daughter about what was going on with Nathan and her having seen him outside of the Crossfire Building and of Nathan's attempts to blackmail her and Stanton.

Hi Everyone, It is very unclear to me what kind of contact Eva had with her father in the early years. I am left wondering if Eva saw her dad from the time that she was born of if he found out about Eva's existence later on in Eva's childhood. I know that Monica, married and remarried and I have to wonder how that affected Eva's relationship with Victor.  Did Eva spend her summers with her father or holidays or what? Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?Â

 Hi Sscrph, I think that Monica deserves any guilt she may feel toward her role in Eva's situation. I am sure that Eva was probably afraid to sleep in her own bed by herelf. She may have cried or been very panicky when being left alone or with the household staff. I don't know how Monica didn't pick up on any of those clues.  I would also think that Eva would have been hyperreactive when it came to her body being touched in any way. Wouldn't Monica have had to take Eva to the doctor's office for colds, sore throats, vaccinations and such? Wouldn't the pediatrician have noticed something askew? Or could it be that Eva was completely relaxed when in her mother's care, but completely freaked out when placed in situations with her step-brother and the family.  I also have to ask; what about the household staff? Did none of them have a heart and try to help this girl? Did none of them hear Eva screaming or crying while Nathan was torturing and raping her? What about afterwards? Did they not see Eva crying or shaking? What was going on there? How did a bunch of adults justify that kind of situation in their minds? Was Eva's pain and suffering worth the paycheque they received every week?Â

 Hi Peachies, How much contact do you think Victor had with Eva in the early years? Do you think that he had visitation rights or was it more of a telephone and correspondence type relationship? What does everyone think?

 Hi KiMa, What makes you believe that Eva knew that Nathan was following her? Is it something she knew all along or something that she discovered near the end? You are correct in the significance of Gideon's feelings for Eva and her fear of that.Â

 Hi Julie54, I agree with you completely. I think that both Victor and Monica had their heads stuck in the sand when it comes to Eva and what was going on during that time in her life. There is no way that Eva wasn't exhibiting "symptoms" of sorts. No way! I think Monica was too busy being a trophy housewife and Victor was too busy being a cop and trying to please Monica. In the end Eva paid for it.  I really hope that Sylvia addresses the lost years as far as Eva and her father are concerned. Something was definately going on there, but as to what exactly, I have no idea and not even a clue. What do you think?

 Kudos to the people who have the courage to follow through with the death penalty. I am a chicken when it comes to that. Sigh!

 Hi Julie54, I agree with all points but I just wanted to clarify that Gideon, Monica and Stanton would have all worked together to put Nathan in jail. There is no way that I would ever suggest that Stanton payoff Nathan's blackmail. I think that if all three of those individuals worked together to get Nathan to "hang himself" criminally, then they would have been unstoppable.  I don't know, it is just a different option. I think I lean more towards convicting Nathan criminally because as a human being I wouldn't have the guts to "flip the switch" or "pull the trigger" as they say.

 Hi Jls1216, If Gideon did in fact kill Nathan, then we as the readers will never know what could have been. I think that this murder will definately cause problems for Eva and Gideon's relationship. If it didn't cause problems, then the storyline wouldn't be very realistic.Â

Hi Jullie54, I also think that this would have given Eva the opportunity to include her father in the support process. I don't think that Eva not telling Victor about the abuse is extremely unhealthy. To me that is a huge "red flag". What is going on in that relationship that Eva or even Monica did keep Victor in the loop?  I have heard it said that a person is only as sick as his or her own secrets. It seems that each and every single one of these individuals has huge issues.Â

Hi Julie54, Again I agree with you. What I wonder is what would have happened had Gideon not murdered Nathan (I am waiting to read that with my own two eyes in June). Wouldn't he and Eva have grown together as people because of this Nathan ordeal? I think that they would. What do you think?

Hi Julie54, I completely agree with your position about how she reacted as well. I think that Gideon, Monica and Stanton all had the opportunity to rally around Eva to offer her support and to help her through this hard time, but each and every single one of them took the easy way out.  In a way they took away Eva's right to grow stronger through her experiences and through her handling of tough situations. I don't know how that could ultimately help her in the long run.  I also agree with you that Eva was probably in shock and didn't react well, but what I don't know is how Eva would have handled future dealings with Nathan through a trial or such. I think she would have grown. Gideon's love and Monica and Stanton's support may have done wonders for her. What do you think?

 Hi Julie54, You are absolutely correct. It would be a horrible existence for Eva to live. I just think that Nathan could have been eliminated in another way, without Gideon having to kill him. Quite frankly if Gideon, Monica and Stanton (had one ounce of faith in the justice system) and had reported Nathan's crimes, then I am absolutely sure that Nathan would have been tried and convicted by the criminal system and in the process would have been killed by another prison inmate who would have found out about his past crimes of being a child rapist. Prisoners always seem to find out about these things. Guards or other people who work in the justice system always ending up spilling the beans and justice seems to be dished out in the end. I am also sure that Gideon, Monica and Stanton could have kept Eva safe during Nathan's arrest, trial and conviction. So if Eva had to suffer a lack of freedom, it would only have been for a very short while.  In the end Nathan would have wound up dead, justice would have been served and Eva and Gideon would have had a future without this horrible guilt and shame hanging over them. The only catch would have been that they both would have required just a little faith (which they didn't have).  Eva never got to choose for herself whether she wanted Nathan to be charged criminally. Gideon told his mother who didn't believe him (thereby eliminating his choice). Both these individuals looked to their parents and not the justice system. I say why not try the justice system. The system never failed them. I am basing this theory on what Sylvia has written about this issue.   What do you think?

Hi Julie54, I think that by not telling Eva what was going on, Gideon, Monica and Stanton all took away Eva's right to decide for herself what she wanted to do. I also don't think that by having surveillance or security detail around Eva would take away her freedom. I think if anything Eva would be able to choose what she wanted to do, where she wanted to and how she wanted to handle each and every situation she is faced with. I think that is part of the process of being an adult.  Each and every single one of us has had different life experiences and as such as adults we base our decisions on how we will proceed with what our experiences have been. High profile individuals often face these challenges given their professions. Unfortunately Eva didn't have a choice in being a victim but she does have a choice in how she handles it. Am I making sense? What do you think? What does everyone think?

Hi Julie54, I would have to really sit down and really think about this, but just off the top of my head I think I would have strung out the meetings between Nathan, Monica and Stanton. I would have video taped Nathan's attempts of trying to extort money from these individuals and see if I could have gotten him to make an inadvertent confession on tape. Then I would drop the hammer on him.  Given the serious nature of the crimes Nathan would be charged with, I don't think that he would be granted bail. I am also sure that no one would step up to post Nathan's bail either. So I know that Eva's safety would be assured. I also know that Nathan would most likely be convicted (especially if he had video taped and photographed himself brutally raping and torturing Eva as a child). Then he would be facing federal criminal charges as well. At the end of the day, I don't think that Nathan would be a free man much longer and he probably would be killed in prison when the prisoners find out about what he did. I think that would have been justice served.Â