Ask Allison: My daughter was sexually assaulted, but says she wants to forget it. Should I drop it?

Allison Keating answers your queries about life and relationships

As a parent, there is a balance between respecting their autonomy and protecting their safety and well-being. Picture: Getty

Allison Keating

Question: My 17-year-old daughter told me that she was sexually assaulted by a friend of a friend on a night out. She is adamant that she does not want us (her parents) involved in any way and that she is absolutely not going to pursue a complaint.

She refuses to talk about it and does not want any counselling or other support. She was very upset when she told us the morning after — they had all been drinking a lot, which I didn’t go into at the time, and didn’t tell us exactly what happened.