Sins of the father
'One of Ireland's most powerful campaigners' The Kavanagh Sisters
I look back now and see that I never stood a chance. It's hard when you realise your whole childhood was taken away. I never got the chance to be a child.'
Shaneda Daly was only four when her father started grooming her. For nearly 15 years, he would go on to sexually abuse his daughter every day. The emotional and physical toll was immense and, eventually, her ex-army and prison officer father admitted to his family what he had been doing. Leaving home for only a year to get help, he was welcomed back 'a changed man'. With no choice but to accept it, Shaneda lived alongside him again only for him to try and abuse her once more.
After realising she had no choice but to leave home, Shaneda finally reclaimed her power by standing up to the man who destroyed her childhood and contacted the police. Decades later, in 2011, she watched as her father was convicted of 227 counts of abuse. Shaneda now fights as a campaigner for other victims and is bravely telling her story fully for the first time: the story of a survivor.
5 Star Reviews ★★★★★
This book is very hard to put down, which feels like a sick thing to say given the subject matter. But Shaneda's story is so compelling, heartbreaking and frustrating that I had to keep turning the pages to see her come out the other side and grow into the amazing woman she now is. The first half of the book is very traumatic as Shaneda takes control of her narrative and details exactly what that vile animal did to her. It makes you want to find that little girl and get her out of that "house of doom". It is horrific to think of the amount of people who must have known that something wasn't right in that house, but turned a blind eye, not least the excuse of a human being who gave birth to her. If I take away anything from that part it is that I hope I would do better if I ever came across a child who I thought might be in trouble. The second half of the book is inspiring, as Shaneda takes us through her "escape" and later her pursuit of justice, and through to her current role providing support for other survivors and campaigning for survivors of child sex abuse. She has been incredibly strong and determined, in the face of so much adversity, and should be hugely proud of herself, which I hope she is. I would highly recommend reading this book, it truly is an eye-opener as to the sort of evil that exists in our world, often right under our noses, and to the failings of our justice system, with inconsistent sentences, irrelevant "character references" for convicted sex offenders, and a system which provides supports and counselling to the perpetrators of these heinous crimes while leaving the victims to fend for themselves. We all need to do better, and join the campaign.
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When I started this book I could not put it down, the saddest of stories. I cannot understand how a father could do that to his precious little girl. She really is a voice for the voiceless.
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This book captivates you from the start. How a child and then adult was systematically let down, failed, manipulated , groomed and abused by both of her so-called parents. An evil father that manipulated her from such a young age and a so-called mother who ignored & neglected her child. Horrendous to think this is still happening today, but Shaneda is like a phoenix that rose from the ashes to become a warrior. This amazing woman still fights for justice for all those that are scared or alone, and will keep on fighting with other survivors to make sure their voices are heard.
