Damaged: The Heartbreaking True Story of a Forgotten Child

Damaged: The Heartbreaking True Story of a Forgotten Child
Cathy Glass

The Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller. Although Jodie is only eight years old, she is violent, aggressive, and has already been through numerous foster families. Her last hope is Cathy Glass…Cathy, an experienced foster carer, is pressured into taking Jodie as a new placement. Jodie's challenging behaviour has seen off five carers in four months but Cathy decides to take her on to protect her from being placed in an institution.Jodie arrives, and her first act is to soil herself, and then wipe it on her face, grinning wickedly. Jodie meets Cathy's teenage children, and greets them with a sharp kick to the shins. That night, Cathy finds Jodie covered in blood, having cut her own wrist, and smeared the blood over her face.As Jodie begins to trust Cathy her behaviour improves. Over time, with childish honesty, she reveals details of her abuse at the hands of her parents and others. It becomes clear that Jodie's parents were involved in a sickening paedophile ring, with neighbours and Social Services not seeing what should have been obvious signs.It’s clear that Josie needs psychiatric therapy, but instead Social Services take Jodie away from her, and place her in a residential unit. Although the paedophile ring is investigated and brought to justice, Jodie’s future is still up in the air. Cathy promises that she will stand by her no matter what – her love for the abandoned Jodie is unbreakable.

Copyright (#ulink_856a57ce-28ea-54b7-9260-e8c8fcfe45f4)

Certain details in this story, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect the family’s privacy.

HarperElement

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published by HarperElement 2006

Copyright © Cathy Glass 2006

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2015 Cover images © Jessamyn Harris/Getty Images (child, posed by model); Shutterstock.com (background)

Cathy Glass asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

This book is a work of non-fiction based on the recollections of Cathy Glass. The names of people, places, dates and the detail of events have been changed to protect the privacy of others. The author has warranted to the publishers that, except in such minor respects not affecting the substantial accuracy of the work, the contents of this book are true.

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HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication

Source ISBN: 9780007236343

Ebook Edition © JANUARY 2009 ISBN: 9780007279753

Version: 2016-08-17

Also by Cathy Glass (#ulink_6fbe0925-0206-5c11-9809-fad701b1f17c)

Damaged

Hidden

Cut

The Saddest Girl in the World

Happy Kids

The Girl in the Mirror

I Miss Mummy

Mummy Told Me Not to Tell

My Dad’s a Policeman (a Quick Reads novel)

Run, Mummy, Run

The Night the Angels Came

Happy Adults

A Baby’s Cry

Happy Mealtimes for Kids

Another Forgotten Child

Please Don’t Take My Baby

Will You Love Me?

About Writing and How to Publish

Daddy’s Little Princess

The Child Bride

Saving Danny

Girl Alone

The Silent Cry

Dedication (#ulink_40703d05-8642-593b-bfe2-955df870fe3c)

To my family for your continuing love, patience and understanding.

Contents

Cover (#ub9de739b-5e00-5fa5-b1e4-f29846d67d84)

Title Page (#ud0ec86df-6f40-55ec-9cf5-6b8c4934fba7)

Copyright (#ulink_8f503447-4457-547b-a4f1-82b35137da1d)

Also by Cathy Glass (#ulink_e247add7-4845-5e80-bcff-f7353b9a6d58)

Dedication (#ulink_7682869e-c611-5c64-9769-a6dcc43c3a0f)

Prologue (#ue96b0d9a-d70d-50bf-865e-3481aec054fe)

Chapter One: Emotional Blackmail (#ulink_3176d9ff-b6c9-5271-8dc5-22ae581fb705)

Chapter Two: The Road To Jodie (#ulink_0b81d672-fd53-5985-8ab7-aab85ef54368)

Chapter Three: The Arrival (#ulink_05b505ff-4b7a-5025-9ae5-a2192e4d9307)

Chapter Four: A New Little Sister (#ulink_2726dbb0-cd48-5daf-aaca-2d4abbfa5a98)

Chapter Five: Self-Harm (#ulink_9d9b13a9-66ef-5690-b8da-7bf50d428186)

Chapter Six: A Very Troubled Child (#ulink_a1d465ba-3cd9-5dbd-9cb5-771ab352faaa)

Chapter Seven: Contact (#ulink_41b6a083-56b6-50da-91bb-ed99881ed887)

Chapter Eight: Julie (#ulink_a5ac51a7-bf2c-5440-8555-ae7a3cb605d0)

Chapter Nine: Disclosure (#ulink_6943bd31-3dd5-5cbc-ad02-e2d425d80714)