Silenced

Before the age of 12, Vicky Jaggers led a very normal life. But one night everything was turned upside down, when her brother changed from being her hero to being her rapist. Vicky left behind the innocent days of playing with her dolls, and spent her nights terrified of going to bed. Too scared to tell anyone, she kept the vile abuse a secret but then she discovered she was pregnant. Torn between lying to her parents and tearing the family apart, she decided to keep quiet – pretending she’d spent the night with a boy she’d met on holiday six months earlier. Unable to face the prospect of having an abortion and the resulting stillbirth, Vicky gave birth to her daughter Kirsty at the age of 13. She spent the next 18 years of her life trying to forget what her brother did but battling with constant fears – what else was David capable of? Would he rape again? Would he come after Kirsty? Vicky became a nervous wreck, drifting into destructive relationships and deep unhappiness. And all the time, David’s behaviour became more erratic and dangerous. Then one day, in a twist of fate, Vicky was confronted with an agonising decision. Should she tell everyone what David did to her 18 years earlier and get him locked up? Or let him carry on hurting everyone he met? It was time for Vicky to finally face her nightmares, and tell her daughter and family the truth.