Helping silent men survive through adversities

Sexual abuse of men in Portugal is a reality which still seen as taboo, however, victims, boys, and men, of sexual abuse exist and the association Quebrar o Silêncio intends to support all those who ask for help.

By Bruno G. Santos, in News, Portugal · 15 Feb 2023, 13:30 · 0 Comments

Helping the survivors

Ângelo Fernandes is the founder and executive director of the Quebrar o Silêncio association. He told The Portugal News that he created the association based on his history. At the age of 10, he was "sexually abused by a family friend." A story that marked him and he realised, that despite being his story, it was similar to "so many other men who suffer in silence."

The founder of the association states that “a man victimised in childhood takes more than 20 years to share his story of sexual abuse”. Therefore, Ângelo Fernandes decided to start working and Quebrar o Silêncio began operations in 2017.

How help is provided

The Quebrar o Silêncio team is made up mostly of psychologists, “specialised in sexual violence, trauma and masculinities”, with the possibility of legal professionals providing support, if necessary.

The association’s main objective is “to help men and boys who have survived sexual violence to overcome the impact that abuse had on their lives”, through “Psychological Support, Mutual Help Groups and Support Between Peers”, free of charge.

Support is provided to all Portuguese men residing in mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions but is even extended to Portuguese men who may be residing abroad.

During six years of activity, Quebrar o Silêncio has already supported 594 men and boys who were victims of sexual abuse.

Ask and provide support

For a victim to ask for support, they can contact the association via email at apoio@quebrarosilencio.pt or via the telephone line +351 910 846 589.

Everyone can contribute so that the work of Quebrar o Silêncio continues and can help other people through donations. Donations can be made via bank transfer to IBAN: PT50-0033-0000-45498536082-05.

However, Ângelo Fernandes believes that simply publicising the association's work on social media is already a way of helping Quebrar o Silêncio to grow and reach more people.

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463.