Trafficked Girl: Abused. Abandoned. Exploited. This is My Story of Fighting Back.

Zoe was placed in a residential unit known to be a target for prostitution, where her life was worse than ever. She was abused and ostracized by her mother, humiliated by her father's sexual innuendos, physically assaulted and bullied by her eldest brother, and even as a young child, Zoe thought she deserved the unhappy life she was living. One day at school, Zoe showed her teacher the livid bruises that were the result of her mother's latest physical assault, and she was taken into care. At Denver House, an older girl asked if she would like to go to a party, then took her to a house where three men raped her. Her social worker made a joke about it and took her to get the morning-after pill.

Zoe realized that the only way to survive in the unit was to go to the 'parties the older girls were paid to take her to, drink the drinks, smoke the cannabis, and try to blank out what was done to her. No action was taken by the unit's staff or social workers when Zoe asked for their help, and without anyone to support or protect her, the horrific abuse continued for the next few years, even after she left the unit. However, in her heart, Zoe was always a fighter, and she finally broke free of the abuse and neglect that destroyed her childhood and obtained justice for her years of suffering.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 304 pages
\n Publication date: 22 March 2018
\n Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
\n

When Zoe was taken into care at the age of 13, she thought she was finally going to escape from the cruel abuse she had suffered throughout her childhood. However, her hopes were dashed when social services placed her in a residential unit known for being a target for prostitution. Zoe's life became even more miserable than before, as she was subjected to further abuse and humiliation. Her mother, who had already abused and ostracized her, subjected her to even more cruelty, including sexual innuendos and physical assault. Her eldest brother bullied her, and even as a young child, Zoe felt that she deserved the unhappy life she was living.

"I've sharpened a knife for you," her mother told her the first time she noticed angry red wounds on her daughter's arms. Despite Zoe's attempts to commit suicide, her mother gave her whisky, hoping it would dull the miserable, aching loneliness of her life.

One day at school, Zoe showed her teacher the livid bruises that were the result of her mother's latest physical assault. Within days, she was taken into care. Zoe had been at Denver House for just three weeks when an older girl asked if she would like to go to a party. The older girl then took Zoe to a house where there were only three men. Zoe was a virgin until that night, when two of the men raped her.

When Zoe returned to the residential unit in the early hours of the morning, she told a member of staff what had happened to her. However, her social worker made a joke about it and then took her to get the morning-after pill. For Zoe, the indifference of the staff at the residential unit seemed like further confirmation of what her mother had always told her: she was worthless.

Before long, Zoe realized that the only way to survive in the unit was to go to the "parties" that the older girls were paid to take her to. She drank the drinks, smoked the cannabis, and tried to blank out what was done to her when. This cycle of abuse and exploitation continued for several years, until Zoe finally managed to escape from the residential unit at the age of 18.

Zoe's experience was a harrowing one, and it left her with deep emotional scars. She struggled with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder for many years after her escape. However, with the help of therapy and support from her family and friends, Zoe was able to begin rebuilding her life.

Today, Zoe is an advocate for survivors of child abuse and exploitation. She works tirelessly to raise awareness about the issue and to provide support and resources to those who have been affected by similar experiences. Zoe's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of hope and healing.

\n Weight: 218g\n
Dimension: 130 x 212 x 21 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780008148041\n \n