Damaged: The Heartbreaking True Story of a Forgotten Child

Summary

At the Social Services office, Cathy (an experienced foster carer) is pressured into taking Jodie as a new placement. Jodie’s challenging behavior has seen off five carers in four months. Despite her reservations, Cathy decides to take on Jodie 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 behavior 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 pedophile ring, with neighbors and Social Services not seeing what should have been obvious signs.

Unfortunately, Jodie becomes increasingly withdrawn, and it’s clear she needs psychiatric therapy. Cathy urges the Social Services to provide funding, but instead they decide to take Jodie away from her and place her in a residential unit.

Although the pedophile 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.