Nobody Heard Me Cry lifts the lid on the sordid underworld of paedophilia in Ireland. This is a shocking memoir that palpates the wounds of growing up abused and raped by neighbours, family friends and a paedophile ring that included lawyers, police and the clergy.

That John Devane survived his early life is wonder enough but as an adult he became a lawyer and altruistically represented one of the men who abused him. His exposé reveals how vulnerable some children are and just how terrible the cost of an unstable childhood can be. He was only eight years old when a neighbour molested him and a chain of sexual abuse began, and would sadly continue throughout his youth.

According to Devane, Father Denis Daly was the first priest to abuse him. It occurred in public toilets in Limerick’s docklands. But apart from identifying the now-dead priest, Devane doesn’t name and shame any of his other abusers. Although a heartbreaking and harrowing read, Nobody Heard Me Cry is an unforgettable story. Hachette Livre, RRP $35.