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| Karen Danczuk wants to shed 'selfie queen' image to help abuse victims | Karen Danczuk wants to shed 'selfie queen' image to help abuse victims |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Karen Danczuk has said she wants to shed her "selfie queen" image in favour of helping victims of sexual abuse. | Karen Danczuk has said she wants to shed her "selfie queen" image in favour of helping victims of sexual abuse. |
| The ex-councillor, who was raped by her brother, has become a patron of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood. | The ex-councillor, who was raped by her brother, has become a patron of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood. |
| Ms Danczuk found fame posting self-portraits on Twitter - though she now believes these were a "cry for help". | Ms Danczuk found fame posting self-portraits on Twitter - though she now believes these were a "cry for help". |
| She said she hopes to use her media profile to help remove the "stigma" suffered by abuse victims. | She said she hopes to use her media profile to help remove the "stigma" suffered by abuse victims. |
| Ms Danczuk waived her right to anonymity following the sentencing of Michael Burke in December. | Ms Danczuk waived her right to anonymity following the sentencing of Michael Burke in December. |
| He was jailed for 15 years for a series of sex attacks on his sister and two other victims over an 18-year period. | He was jailed for 15 years for a series of sex attacks on his sister and two other victims over an 18-year period. |
| 'Underdog' | 'Underdog' |
| Ms Danczuk said her fondness for sharing selfies with her 72,000 followers may have been linked to her abuse, which began when she was aged six. | Ms Danczuk said her fondness for sharing selfies with her 72,000 followers may have been linked to her abuse, which began when she was aged six. |
| Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, she said: "I think I wanted to be normal. I wanted people to look at me in a way that I probably hadn't been looked at before. | |
| "It was a mental thing, it was a confidence thing. | "It was a mental thing, it was a confidence thing. |
| "I feel quite embarrassed. It was a massive cry for help. | "I feel quite embarrassed. It was a massive cry for help. |
| "Now when I look back I think, goodness me, I really was ill. and I really feel sorry for me back then." | "Now when I look back I think, goodness me, I really was ill. and I really feel sorry for me back then." |
| Ms Danczuk, who is no longer with her Rochdale MP husband Simon Danczuk, said she now want to offer support to sexual abuse victims and use her Twitter account to debate mental health issues. | |
| "What drives me is I feel I'm an underdog, and there are millions of people out there like me," she said. "It takes just one person to say 'I'm going to fight this and we're going to take it on'. | "What drives me is I feel I'm an underdog, and there are millions of people out there like me," she said. "It takes just one person to say 'I'm going to fight this and we're going to take it on'. |
| "There is a stigma that you should be ashamed if you've been raped. | "There is a stigma that you should be ashamed if you've been raped. |
| "I think they're really harsh words and actually, by me coming out and saying actually there is no shame in this, it just helps other people." | "I think they're really harsh words and actually, by me coming out and saying actually there is no shame in this, it just helps other people." |