Say Sorry: A Harrowing Childhood in two Catholic Orphanages

Description

Ann just two months old when she was placed in a Catholic orphanage in Christchurch, New Zealand. She was physically and sexually abused by religious and lay staff at the orphanage and forced to work long hours on the orphanage farm and laundries. This is one of the first books to look at abuse within New Zealand Catholic institutions. I was stolen from my mother arms by St Vincent De Paul who were working for the nuns. I was abused from 18months right through until I left at the age of 25years old after we got Married. I knew nothing about the world outside those red brick walls. I had no education I started working on the nuns farm at 5years old also in their laundries and kitchen.

Print book: Biography: EnglishView all editions and formatsSummary: Conceived out of wedlock in 1941, Ann was just two months old when she was placed in the care of a Catholic orphanage in Christchurch, New Zealand. From the beginning, she was taught her mother was sinful and that she would be too unless the devil was beaten from her soul. She was physically and sexually abused by religious and lay staff at the orphanage from an early age and was forced to work long hours on the orphanage farm and later in the laundries. Say Sorry documents the abuse inflicted on Ann and its ongoing consequences. It is also the story of her battle to get authorities within the Catholic Church to accept responsibility for the past institutionalised abuse of children and young people in its care; to acknowledge culpability and admit - unconditionally - that there was wrongdoing.