I was was sexually abused as a child: Samantha Morton

London: Actress Samantha Morton has opened up about the sexual abuse she suffered as a child in foster care following the headline-grabbing Rotherham scandal which rocked the UK last month.

A report by local officials concluded that around 1,400 children were abused in the English town of Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, and the 'Minority Report' star admits the news brought back painful memories of her own past and left her unable to sleep, reports suggest.

Morton, 37, who spent most of her childhood living in institutions in Nottingham, England, said, "I was doing Ok and then suddenly the Rotherham thing comes up."

The actress goes on to allege she was subjected to abuse by two different perpetrators during her time in care, but was too embarrassed to report her plight straight away.

"I was embarrassed and the people that did what they did to me... I thought they were really nice people, so I was actually really shocked when it happened. And, ultimately, nobody would have believed me, because they're the coolest, nicest people.

"It's a shock when someone does things to you... Things you're not expecting. It isn't that people suddenly become the bogeymen. Abuse of children is gradual - this is why we now understand the term grooming.... I didn't go to anybody immediately because - how weird is this? - I didn't want to get them into trouble. I didn't want them to lose their jobs," Morton said.