WRAL Documentary: Speaking the Unspeakable
Knight Chamberlain had a happy childhood, growing up in the small mountain town of Brevard, North Carolina. Then, at nine-years-old a stranger sexually assaulted him near his home and his life changed forever.
Knight’s younger stepbrother Michael was sexually assaulted by his priest at his Catholic church in Brevard when he was 11. They lived apart for decades afterward but shared the same secret. They both found healing in revealing their secret and in speaking publicly about their experiences and about the prevalent problem of child sexual abuse, Michael wrote and performs a one-man play. Knight wrote a book. Both are advocates for raising public awareness about child sexual abuse.
“Speaking the Unspeakable” tells Knight and Michael’s stories. In doing so it reveals some of the common characteristics of child sexual abuse; the guilt and shame felt by survivors, the fear of speaking out, the pain of keeping it secret and the manipulation of abusers who count on their victims’ silence.
WRAL News anchor and reporter Renee Chou narrates “Speaking the Unspeakable," which is available on wraldocumentary.com, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku.
Additional Resources
- Statistics about child sexual abuse
- Stop it now! provides support, information and resources about child sexual abuse
- NC child treatment program
- National child traumatic stress network
- More about Michael Mack
- More about Knight Chamberlain
- SAFEchild Advocacy Center
- Producer Clay Johnson discusses documentary
