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TLC Reveals Date for Child Sex Abuse Documentary Spurred by Duggar Scandal

Michelle Duggar, Jim Bob and Duggar Family
TLC announced that it will be airing a documentary about child sexual abuse on Sunday, Aug. 30.

TLC’s documentary about child sexual abuse finally has an air date. The network revealed on Thursday, Aug. 13, that the one-hour special, titled Breaking the Silence, will air commercial-free on Sunday, Aug. 30. 

The documentary comes after reports surfaced in May that Josh Duggar, one of the stars of the network’s hit reality series 19 Kids and Counting, had molested five underage girls — including some of his sisters — when he was 14.

According to a press release, the documentary is “an effort to promote education, raise awareness, and advance the conversation on this important matter.”

Related: PHOTOS: Duggar family album

TLC is partnering with RAINN and Darkness to Light, two of the nation’s leading abuse prevention organizations, for the project.

“The one-hour documentary is built around the personal and emotional stories of brave survivors who have found the courage to come forward,” the network said in a statement Thursday.

“The goal is to take what has been a difficult and painful experience, and focus that attention on the really critical issue of child protection and child sexual abuse,” TLC President Marjorie Kaplan told The Associated Press earlier this year.

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Among those who will speak out in the documentary are Jill and Jessa Duggar, who previously shared their struggles to cope with the aftermath of being molested by Josh more than a decade ago.

“My dad explained to us, he said, ‘You know there’s a difference between forgiveness and trust. That’s not the same thing,’” Jill told Fox News’ Megan Kelly in a June interview. “You know, you forgive someone and then you have boundaries. Forgiveness with boundaries. Trust comes later. Josh destroyed that trust at the beginning, and so he had to rebuild that. I think when he came back, that was… the point of rebuilding.”

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After news of the scandal surfaced, Josh apologized for his actions in a statement posted to the family’s Facebook page. “Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regretful,” he wrote. “I hurt others, including my family and close friends.”

TLC cancelled the Duggar family’s reality series in July after 10 seasons in light of the molestation scandal. Discovery Communications CFO Andy Warren has said that the network has lost $19 million since axing the popular program.

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