GK Barry opens up on rape ordeal
GK Barry has bravely opened up about being raped by an older man in a position of power when she was 17.
GK Barry has bravely opened up about being raped when she was 17.
The Loose Women star - whose real first name is Grace - was in her second year at college when she went on a week's work experience and the older man she was reporting to was initially friendly and offered her a lift to the premises, but things took a dark turn when he instead drove them to a deserted park and demanded oral sex.
She told The Sun newspaper: "As we were driving in that morning, he kept touching my leg, which was making me uncomfortable, although I didn’t feel able to ask him to stop. There was a massive imbalance of power going on, which he was 100% taking advantage of.
"I didn’t know what else to do except go along with what he was telling me. Resisting or fighting back felt like it might make things worse. There was never a moment in my mind where I thought I could say no to what was happening. I was only 17 and scared. I wasn’t able to process the situation and think logically."
Grace continued with the placement because it felt like a "make or break" moment after failing her GCSEs but on the last day, after the other staff had left, the unnamed man locked her in a room and raped her - but she "blamed herself".
She added: "Rape. It’s taken me 10 years to realise that’s what it was. I know now he had a position of power. He was significantly older than me. I have come to terms with the fact it was really f***** up, and he shouldn’t have done it."
The 27-year-old social media star didn't tell anyone what had happened until the following year, when she confided in a teacher after hearing another student was going to be undertaking the same work experience placement. Police were called but the case was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
After going to university in Nottingham, Grace "went off the rails" as she struggled to come to terms with what had happened and even now, she is terrified of bumping into her attacker when she goes home to Cambridge.
She said: "It feels heavy, but I avoid places where I might see him. I don’t even like driving past where I did my work experience.
"I always thought rape was someone in a dark alleyway jumping out at you – but it wasn’t like that at all."
