Ashwood Publishing is proud to have assisted in the production of this important book, published by the author’s own imprint, bathus.
What happens when innocence is broken? When a child speaks up?
When a family can’t cope?
At 53, Cathy Byrne reported to police that in the 1980s, she was groomed and sexually abused by a teacher from the age of 13.
The fallout was devastating. Byrne’s visceral, deeply immersive account details the intense mental and emotional stress of processing long-repressed trauma while also navigating family and community backlash and the exhausting victim-work imposed by the justice system.
This rare insider story illuminates the challenges survivors face in a culture still confused about consent, the rights of children and the pervasiveness of rape myths. It shows the courage needed and the changes required for victim-survivors to get some justice, and to realise that fear is a trap that only hope can dissolve.
Cathy Byrne
About the author
Dr Cathy Byrne is an author, academic and social justice advocate. She
has written for The Conversation and various academic journals. She has
presented on radio and TV news shows and at the NSW Parliamentary
Inquiry into Ethics in Primary Schools. She is known for her advocacy
on children’s rights and her support of women in surfing.
Also by Cathy Byrne
Religion in Secular Education: what in heaven’s name are we teaching our children?