Thursday, December 16, 2010

Book: The making of me



Summary: Tegan Wagner, 14, thought she was going to a party with friends. Instead, she found herself trapped in a house with a group of older boys she had never met before. She was gang raped that night by three brothers. What followed forms the basis of Tegan Wagner's riveting story as she struggled to cope with the fallout from that horrific night – the betrayal of friends, the school yard scrutiny, the psychological scars and the eventual descent into drugs and self harm as a way of dealing with the trauma of the rapes.

But eventually she found the courage and determination to pick herself up and speak out about what had happened to her. After three frustrating years her case finally came to trial and she faced the brothers in court. She withstood the anxiety and pressure of the legal process and then, in one further act of bravery, unveiled her identity to the media in order to encourage other victims of rape to report the crime and not hide away in shame.

A great quick read. So sad to hear how our legal system works at times. What a brave girl. Brilliant.

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