
A searing expose of institutional child abuse, and the remarkable story of the survivors who would not be silenced For many years, Newcastle was the centre of an extensive paedophile network run by members of the Anglican church—and protected by parishioners and community members who looked the other way. In this gripping book, Anne Manne reveals how this network was able to avoid detection for so long, and how its ringleaders were finally exposed and brought to justice. At the centre of the story is a survivor, Steve Smith, who endured years of childhood abuse but refused to be silenced. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with survivors, clergy, police and others, Manne explores how the network operated and how it became entrenched in the upper echelons of Newcastle society. She offers deep insights into the minds and strategies of abusers, and pays tribute to the victims and their tireless struggle for justice. Child sexual abuse has previously been thought of as an individual crime; Manne pioneers an examination of it as part of a network. This is an unforgettable study of courage and faith in the face of unthinkable evil.
Author
Anne Manne is a Melbourne writer. She has been a regular columnist for the Australian and the Age. More recently her essays on contemporary culture such as child abuse, pornography, gendercide and disability have all appeared in The Monthly magazine. Her essay ‘Ebony: The Girl in the Room’ was included in The Best Australian Essay’s: A Ten Year Collection. Her book, Motherhood: How should we care for our children, was a finalist in the Walkley Award for Best Non-Fiction Book of 2006. She has written a Quarterly Essay, ‘Love and Money: The family of the Free Market’ and a memoir, So this is Life: Scenes from a country childhood.
- Taken from The Life of I: The New Culture of Narcissism