After a life in care, with both good and bad experiences of the system, Hope knows all too well what the risks are for children in care as they approach adolescence. Lacking any sense of self-worth or belonging, children in care are often dismissed by the authorities as impossible to manage and, worse, perceived as children who have invited sexual abuse by placing themselves in 'dangerous' situations. They quickly become invisible to the authorities - too old to be perceived as 'children' by the system and yet, far too young to be safe in an adult world. Hope was brought up in care from the age of nine. Until now, she has never spoken about what happened to her once she left the security of her children's home at the age of 13 and moved into a 'secure unit'. It may have been secure but it was never 'safe'. In this new book, she lifts the lid on this untold chapter of her story and the devastating effects she experienced when she reconnected with her past. This isn't Love is a book that not only casts blame on the men and women who abuse children in care, but also on those who avert their gazes in the belief that these children are 'asking for it'. Hope's story ends on a hopeful note, championing victims of abuse and encouraging others to tell their story.
