Groomed
In this powerful and honest memoir, Laurie Matthew takes the reader with her as she revisits her childhood in 1950s and 1960s Dundee.
Raised in a home which consisted of an emotionally neglectful and physically violent mother, a distant father, a chronically sick brother and a sister she needed to protect, the only ray of light in little Laurie's life came from the man who would return home from the Army with pockets full of sweets and bags of toys.
Uncle Andrew would shower her with attention and love, capture the hearts of everyone around him - and carefully groom her for years of abuse by not only himself, but also by a network of paedophiles.
Laurie tells a harrowing story of isolation, as her abusers went to extraordinary lengths to carry out their sick acts, wearing masks to confuse and torment her and keeping her away from other children.
But these evil men had no idea that the girl they systematically violated would turn into one of the country's leading child protection experts, and that their legacy would give her the impetus to change the lives of so many innocent victims.
5 Star Reviews ★★★★★
Laurie survived abuse on every level, and has used those awful experiences to work directly with survivors of abuse, and work at a national level as a child protection expert. Working within the realm of organised/ritualised abuse is a place not many experts go, but Laurie and the charities set up by her do. That deserves recognition and should be applauded. `I have peace and love in my life.I am surrounded by my own children and my grandchildren. I never thought I`d have all that. I still don`t think I deserve it. I feel so lucky to have survived and to have all of this. Every day I tell myself how good life is and how good my life is.That`s special. I made that for myself and no one can ever take it away from me. I did it. I saved Laurie.’ Laurie deserves to be surrounded by people she loves and who love her in return. She has worked so hard for so long to get to where she is. I’d like to think that one day, she knows that she deserves the good things and people she has in her life. If only there were more Laurie Matthews the world would be a far better place.
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Coming from the younger generation I have never really thought about just how much has changed in the world over the years. Through Laurie Matthew’s biography, she takes you back to her childhood in the 1950's, 1960's and paints a very clear picture of life as it was back then. Including the introduction of telephones and televisions, the way families lived, the poverty which most families suffered, and the lack of support which children had. One thing which hasnt changed is people's views on abuse and just how much of it there is going on under our noses. There may be more support available for survivors of abuse, which in itself indicates that it is still going on. However, Laurie Matthew shares with you her brave story which explains how easily it is for a child to be abused and the grooming process which abusers often use to gain the child’s trust and sometimes even love. The writer of the book has made it very clear for the reader to understand the author’s emotions and how her mind was programmed from a very young age.
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I think this story can help people who have been abused themselves and those who simply need to read it to believe it, giving us all greater knowledge about the horrors of abuse in the hope that the more we know, the more we can help. Thank you Laurie for telling your story.