This is not an easy thing to write. 

For a long time, I stayed silent—out of fear, out of shame, and out of the hope that maybe things would just resolve themselves. But silence only protects those who harm, and I’ve come to understand that speaking out is not just an act of courage—it’s an act of self-respect.

I want to share my experience with someone who caused me deep emotional and financial harm: Charlie Walsh.

Charlie was someone I trusted. Someone I believed had good intentions. But that trust was exploited. He convinced me to pay for a Google Workspace account, claiming it was a shared cost, something we both needed. I later found out he had obtained it for free. He never paid me back. He never intended to. It wasn’t just about the money—it was about the manipulation, the deceit, and the way he made me feel like I owed him something when I didn’t.

But the financial exploitation was only part of it.

Charlie repeatedly subjected me to verbal abuse. He called me slurs. He mocked my identity. He told me to kill myself. He used the most vile language imaginable, including racial slurs, during phone calls—words that made my skin crawl and my heart sink. I was left feeling worthless, broken, and confused. I questioned my own reality. I questioned whether I deserved kindness. I questioned whether I was safe.

No one should ever have to endure that.

I’m sharing this now because I refuse to carry the weight of his actions in silence any longer. I refuse to let his cruelty define me. I am not the person he tried to break—I am someone who survived, someone who is healing, and someone who is reclaiming her voice.

To anyone reading this who has been manipulated, abused, or made to feel small: you are not alone. You are not weak. You are not to blame. There is strength in your story, even if it’s messy, even if it hurts to tell. You deserve to be heard. You deserve to be safe. You deserve to be treated with dignity.

I’m still healing. Some days are harder than others. But I’m learning to forgive myself for trusting the wrong person. I’m learning to set boundaries. I’m learning to speak up—not just for myself, but for others who haven’t found their voice yet.

This is my truth. And I’m standing in it.

Kind Regards,

Kate-Mae Lavinia

People Team Director @ Moderley 

(P.S I have given Amelia and Moderley Group permission to use this statement)

Do you have a story about Charlie's behaviour? Please email headoffice@moderley.com or open a ticket in our Discord.