The Dundee mum of Scotland’s biggest family has revealed she had a daughter as a teenager after being raped as a 17-year-old.
Emma Hann – who later met, married and had 13 kids with husband Roy – says she discovered she was pregnant seven-and-a-half months after the sexual assault.
Now 53, she reflected on the “traumatic” incident during the second episode of a BBC documentary series about what daily life is like for the Charleston family.
Emma has previously spoken about her first child, which she gave up for adoption after giving birth aged 18.
‘I just kind of blanked it out’
But she spoke about the rape for the first time in the latest instalment of Scotland’s Biggest Families, broadcast on Monday night.
Emma – who has given The Courier permission to publish her comments from the TV show – said: “When I was a teenager I was raped by a boy and I just kind of blanked it out – I just didn’t think about it.
“I was discovered seven-and-a-half months later to be 32 weeks pregnant with his baby.
“Then I was given two options: My parents raise her as their own, or she be adopted through the LDS (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) family services – so through a private adoption agency run by the religion.”
It was decided the baby would be given up for adoption.
In video footage taken by a religious leader, shown during the episode, an 18-year-old Emma can be seen visiting her daughter, alongside members of her family.
She recalled: “I went with them in my Sunday clothes – it was actually my mum’s dress.
“I’m in this room and everyone is talking and I’m just really awkward and standing in the corner for most of it, just completely like a bystander.
“I was so confused, traumatised.”
Baby being taken away ‘was cruel’
Emma and Roy moved away from the Mormon Church six years ago after being “challenged by some of the policies and doctrines” around its historical attitudes to race and LGBTQI issues.
Speaking to The Courier ahead of their appearance on the show, she admitted the community had “turned their back” on the couple following the decision.
On the programme, Emma said she felt her child being taken away from her was “cruel”.
The co-owner of the Empire State Coffee shop says going on to have a large family helped distract her from the heartbreak.
She said: “I love them all, but not one of them replaced her.”
In a preview of next week’s episode, Emma can be heard saying that the church “doesn’t talk about” sexual abuse and the trailer suggests she will confront her painful past.
A spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints told us: “The church tries to assist all its members and those not of its faith who seek help to help and advise them.”
The spokesperson said the church was unwilling to discuss details of Emma’s case, but added: “It’s very much a case of individuals doing their best to help people at the time.”
The third and final episode of Scotland’s Biggest Families airs on BBC One Scotland at 8pm on Monday November 14.
