About this Event
This is an unforgettable story of courage in the face of unthinkable evil.
For many years, Newcastle was the centre of a sinister 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 avoided detection for so long, and how its ringleaders were finally exposed and brought to justice. At the heart 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, lay people, 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.
About the author
Anne Manne is an Australian journalist and social philosopher who has written widely on feminism, motherhood, childcare, family policy, fertility and related issues. She is a regular contributor to the Age and the Monthly. Her books include Quarterly Essay 29: Love & Money – The Family and the Free Market, The Life of I: the New Culture of Narcissism, and, Motherhood: How Should We Care for Our Children? which was shortlisted for the 2006 Walkley non-fiction prize.
Organised in partnership with Constant Reader Bookshop.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Stanton Library, Level 1, 234 Miller St, North Sydney, Australia
USD 0.00