WHY, FATHER? - TONY MAGUIRE

From No.1 bestselling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of abuse and survival. Gerry was only a young girl when she was first abused by her father. His evil acts were followed by abuse from her local priest, arranged by her father. After her mother found out about the abuse, and believing there was nothing she could do to help her child, she committed suicide. Gerry and her siblings were split up and placed in different foster homes, all knowing they were unlikely to see each other ever again. Told that her mother had committed a grave sin, her foster parents were far from kind to her. She experienced years of loneliness, feeling completely abandoned. The abuse Gerry experienced was so extensive it led to her needing an operation to repair the damage her body went through. When asked who or what had been responsible, she responded 'the priest'. But she was not believed in her small northern town in the 60s, where everyone believed a priest took his orders directly from God. After finally meeting her kind and caring husband a few years ago, and after celebrating her 60th birthday, Gerry decided it was time for her story to be told. This is her true story of survival.