Singh says childhood abuse steeled him for scrutiny and stress of politics

Jagmeet Singh said he decided to “take a chance” and share his story of childhood sexual abuse in hopes of helping other victims. The NDP Leader recounted the assaults for the first time in his book, Love & Courage, released Tuesday.

Editor’s Note: This story contains sensitive subject matter that some readers may find difficult. 

OTTAWA — Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is going public with his story of facing sexual abuse as a child, and he hopes by doing so, he can help others.

The revelation is contained in Singh’s memoir, Love & Courage, which hit store shelves on Tuesday.

Growing up in Windsor, Ontario, Singh says he faced racism and bullying in the school yard, which led him to learn taekwondo as a means of self defence. But at the age of 10, he says his instructor took him out of the gym for special classes at his home.

That’s when the abuse is said to have started.

“Showing me different images, touching me and making me touch him,” Singh says, adding the abuse lasted for months.

LISTEN: Parliament Hill reporter Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh about the sexual abuse he faced as a child, as well as how alcoholism affected his father and the family.

(WARNING: The details may be disturbing to some, discretion is advised.)

 

As a child, he admits he struggled to cope with what had happened. “And that guilt, and that shame of what had happened to me during that time period stayed with me for a number of years.”

It took a decade before he spoke to close friends and family about the abuse. Now, Singh hopes by going public it will give strength to other victims.

“It is not your fault, you are not to blame and you do deserve to be happy and have love in your life,” he says.

At first, his thought was that keeping his emotions and story bottled was his way of showing strength, however, he’s learned that he needs to talk about the abuse to heal.

He also says his childhood experiences have helped him to handle public scrutiny as a national political leader.

Singh says that even if he endures a lot of criticism, the experience isn’t “nearly as bad” as what he’s lived through before.

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