“But They Took It Back”: What No One Tells You About Recantation
At Mezzo Allies, we talk often about the complexity of a survivor’s healing journey — how it’s rarely linear, how disclosure is rarely straightforward, and how systems that were designed to protect can often retraumatize. One of the most misunderstood and damaging pieces of this puzzle is recantation — when a survivor takes back or denies a previous disclosure of abuse.
To the outside world, a recantation can seem like proof that the abuse didn’t happen. “They made it up.” “They changed their mind.” “They were confused.” But inside the survivor’s world, it is often quite the opposite.
Why Do Survivors Recant?
Recantation is not a reflection of truth; it is a reflection of fear, threat, manipulation, and survival. Research and lived experience show that many survivors — especially children and those trafficked by family or people close to them — recant because:
They are still actively being threatened by the person who harmed them.
Their safety or the safety of someone they love has been used as a bargaining chip.
They were told, “If you tell, no one will believe you.”
They disclosed and were met with disbelief, blame, or silence.
They realized that telling didn’t bring the help they needed — instead, it brought chaos, loss, or punishment.
For survivors of family-controlled human trafficking or organized abuse, the pressure to recant is even more intense. These networks are built on control and secrecy. Speaking out can mean losing your entire world — even if that world is dangerous. And when that world is your family, the stakes are even higher.
What Happens After Recantation?
Here’s the heartbreaking part: once a survivor recants, the system rarely forgets it.
It becomes a part of their file, their story, their credibility — even if they later try again to tell the truth.
Survivors who recant often face:
Disbelief from professionals: “They already said it didn’t happen.”
Closed doors to services, justice, and support.
Internalized shame: “Maybe it was my fault. No one believes me anyway.”
Retraumatization from having to repeatedly explain or defend their truth.
Recanting can create lifelong roadblocks in a survivor’s journey that should never have been there in the first place.
What Recantation Actually Reflects
Instead of asking why a survivor changed their story, we should be asking: What was happening around them when they did? Were they safe? Were they supported? Were they believed? Had the abuse stopped?
Recantation is not the lie.
It’s often the coping mechanism.
It’s the forced silence of someone who is still trapped, still being watched, or still desperately trying to keep themselves safe in a world that hasn’t shown up for them.
We Need to Do Better
At Mezzo Allies, we believe that every survivor deserves to be heard, supported, and safe — even if their story changes over time. We know that recantation does not erase the truth of what happened. And we will never punish someone for doing what they needed to do to survive.
If you’re a survivor who has recanted in the past, please know this:
You are still believed. You are still worthy of support. And when you're ready, your truth still matters.
Let’s stop letting recantation be used as a weapon against survivors.
Let’s start listening to the reasons behind the silence.
Because sometimes, silence is screaming.
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Written by the Mezzo Allies Team
Supporting survivors of family-controlled human trafficking and organized abuse — every step of the way.