Christine McGuinness has made a brave statement about the sexual abuse that she’s faced ahead of her new BBC documentary Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism.
Christine’s new documentary will explore the importance of teaching young women with autism about consent, due to the high levels of sexual abuse autistic women face.
She has three children with estranged husband Paddy McGuinness – twins Penelope and Leo, aged nine, and Felicity, seven.
Christine McGuinness: ‘I was sexually abused, like so many autistic women’
Model Christine McGuinness was diagnosed with autism in 2021, at the age of 33. Her three children also have autism.
Ahead of her new documentary, Christine is opening up about the sexual abuse she faced as a child.
She previously opened up in her biography that she was sexually abused from ages nine to 11, and was “forced to watch sexual videos”.
Christine was later raped at a house party when she was 14.
She admitted that the experience was so traumatic that she prayed every night that she wouldn’t wake up the next morning.
Christine told the BBC: “Just because it was so awful. It was just awful.”
A 2022 study suggests that nearly nine in 10 autistic women have been victims of “sexual violence”.
The study shared that “two-thirds of the victims were very young when they were first assaulted”.
Christine admits it’s “frightening” but “important” to have a discussion about sexual abuse among autistic women and girls.
Christine’s fears for her autistic children
The model and reality TV star also opened up about her fears for her own autistic children – Penelope, Leo and Felicity.
She told OK! about the importance of making sure autistic girls “fully understand what consent is”.
It’s something that petrifies me as a mum of two young girls and a boy. It’s scary.
“Autistic girls typically do want to fit in and people please and do give into peer pressure a lot more than a neuro-typical girl.
“It’s something that petrifies me as a mum of two young girls and a boy. It’s scary.
“The more people who know this could be an issue for them the better they might be looked after. It shouldn’t happen to anybody.”
Read more: Christine McGuinness reveals tragic reason she stayed with Paddy until she did
Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism airs on Wednesday, March 15 at 9pm on BBC One. It will also be available on iPlayer after airing.
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