A YOUNG musician has teamed up with a child sexual abuse support organisation to record a track that aims to raise awareness and help break the silence over the issue.

Former Prestatyn High School pupil John Larkins – whose musical alias is ‘Larko’ – says he uses “music as medicine”.

John, from Prestatyn, has cerebral palsy, and writes rap and grime music through a ‘ghost’ rapper.

He communicates with his rapper through eye gaze technology. The rapper then writes down John’s words and performs them.

John, 22, was contacted by Daniel Wolstencroft, who founded Shatter Boys UK, which seeks to raise awareness and helps men who have suffered childhood sexual abuse.

The charity is now funding a track by John telling the story of a male sexual abuse survivor, while John is also putting together a second track about a female abuse victim.

Daniel, who set up the charity after coming to terms with his own childhood sexual abuse, said: “I found John by accident on Facebook.

“I read his story and was blown away with how he’d come up with the ingenious way to break his silence and had seen similarities with us also being silenced – John literally doesn’t have a voice but he’s making a big noise!

“He’s getting himself heard and getting his feelings out there.

“I was blown away with his journey, met him and loved his sense of humour and thought he was the guy for us.

“This project means the world to us because we can get a message out to the very people were trying to protect and give a voice which is our lads and children – I feel they will connect with John.”

Daniel will be setting up a branch of Shatter Boys UK in Rhyl in the near future.

John said: “Doing this sexual abuse project has really opened my eyes.” Of his latest musical venture relating to the sex abuse survivors, he said: “I will be writing their stories then sending it to my vocalist to record in our studio.

“I want to help the survivors get encouragement to speak out – I want to protect children going through abuse.

“Most young people now listen to 'grime', so this is really going to let them know that they aren’t alone.

“I am proud to be the voice of these survivors because as I know myself before I had music I was voiceless.”

For more information on Shatter Boys UK, visit www.facebook.com/shatterboysrecovery.