It Ends with Me: breaking the pattern of sexual abuse

Starting when she was two years old, Robin Heald endured years of sexual abuse by her stepfather.  As a young teenager, she told police, child protection services and her mother what was going on, yet little changed. Her mother even chose to stay with the man who was abusing her. 

In the documentary, “It Ends with Me,” Robin takes us on a road trip to visit her mother and sister - a journey to explore their generational trauma, a system’s failure to protect children and Robin’s determination to break their family’s cycle of abuse. 

Warning: This episode contains discussions of childhood sexual abuse. 

Produced and reported by John Chipman with story editing by Julia Pagel and Joan Webber.

This doc first aired on The Current in June of 2025.

Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit