• Trafficked Girl: Abused. Abandoned. Exploited. This Is My Story of Fighting Back

  • By: Zoe Patterson, Jane Smith
  • Narrated by: Una Byrne
  • Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2 ratings)

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Trafficked Girl: Abused. Abandoned. Exploited. This Is My Story of Fighting Back  By  cover art

Trafficked Girl: Abused. Abandoned. Exploited. This Is My Story of Fighting Back

By: Zoe Patterson,Jane Smith
Narrated by: Una Byrne
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Publisher's Summary

When Zoe was taken into care at the age of 13, she thought she was finally going to escape from the cruel abuse she had suffered throughout her childhood. Then social services placed her in a residential unit known to be 'a target for prostitution', and suddenly Zoe's life was worse than it had ever been before. 

Abused and ostracized by her mother, humiliated by her father's sexual innuendos, physically assaulted and bullied by her eldest brother, even as a young child Zoe thought she deserved the desperately unhappy life she was living. 

'I've sharpened a knife for you,' her mother told her the first time she noticed angry red wounds on her daughter's arms. And when Zoe didn't kill herself, her mother gave her whisky, which she drank in the hope that it would dull the miserable, aching loneliness of her life. 

One day at school Zoe showed her teacher the livid bruises that were the result of her mother's latest physical assault, and within days she was taken into care. 

Zoe had been at Denver House for just three weeks when an older girl asked if she'd like to go to a party then took her to a house where there were just three men. Zoe was a virgin until that night, when two of the men raped her. Having returned to the residential unit in the early hours of the morning, when she told a member of staff what had happened to her, her social worker made a joke about it, then took her to get the morning-after pill. 

For Zoe, the indifference of the staff at the residential unit seemed like further confirmation of what her mother had always told her - she was worthless. Before long, she realised that the only way to survive in the unit was to go to the 'parties' the older girls were paid to take her to, drink the drinks, smoke the cannabis and try to blank out what was done to her when she was abused, controlled and trafficked around the country. 

No action was taken by the unit's staff or social workers when Zoe asked for their help, and without anyone to support or protect her, the horrific abuse continued for the next few years, even after she left the unit. But in her heart Zoe was always a fighter. This is the harrowing yet uplifting story of how she finally broke free of the abuse and neglect that destroyed her childhood and obtained justice for her years of suffering. 

©2018 Zoe Patterson and Jane Smith (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Trafficked Girl: Abused. Abandoned. Exploited. This Is My Story of Fighting Back

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  • Marie phillips
  • 08-05-18

very disturbing not for the faint hearted powerful

very powerful story very disturbing and can only truly relate if you gone through similar circumstances and if you anit gone through anything like this...this book certainly gives you am insight to how corrupt the system is

3 people found this helpful

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  • Cindy
  • 07-09-19

wasn't for me

Not that good ..it was the same thing all the way through I got bored

1 person found this helpful

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  • Joan Janvier
  • 09-04-18

Amazing read.

Brilliant true story. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn't stop listening! Would definitely recommend to all. This person is amazing and I admire her strength and determination.

1 person found this helpful

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  • gj&tc
  • 08-18-18

All I expected and more. Fantastic book.

A very easy read but both interesting and enjoyable. If you enjoy a simple read but informative then this is for you.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Makyna
  • 08-11-18

Brilliant inspirational story

Oh where can I start this book is really good show how you can change your l8fe around either when you been treated really bad ....
loved it was listing this book with my 15 year old daughter and in times we both was nearly in tears ... Keep your head up Zoe ppl loves you ...

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  • Beckie
  • 07-21-18

Absolutely a brave soul

Such a sad, worrisome story but amazingly brave!
Makes you reflect, cry and really travel through her emotions

1 person found this helpful

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  • S.A.M
  • 05-11-18

Harrowing

This story needs to be told. It is staggering that horrendous sexual abuse is able to happen while in the care of social services. Who are these people who are social workers?

Zoe is still healing, still angry, still confused. As a result the story is a little confusing. As it is told she seems to have worked it out then not. Yeh! at 8yrs? 10yrs? Of course not. She needs her explanations but we/I don’t. She doesn’t have to explain or justify anything.

She will have helped many. Bless her. I hope she finds complete peace and happiness.

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  • Emma Shaw
  • 11-23-22

Such as shocking story.

Zoe, is such an amazing person who fought in the most difficult of circumstances.

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  • Anne Dudley
  • 06-11-22

Very interesting but disturbing

What a disturbing story of how this little girl was let down by the authorities. I have listened to a number of books by women who have suffered at the hands of police and social workers and I just hope now that these people have learnt from all their mistakes in the past. I am so glad that Zoe realized after reading her files that all what happened to her was not her fault and at last she can have peace.

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  • Amy
  • 05-09-22

What a woman!

Powerful/ relatable and inspiring!
Would love a conversation with this woman.
Worth a listen/ read, I love survival stories and this is the one I related to the most and I felt inspired by so many words. Awesome. xx

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  • Mia
  • 03-22-23

exceptional gripping story

loved it . tough to listen to at times but it's many people story.

I love this narrator...

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  • Anonymous User
  • 09-15-22

i couldn't stop listening it truly is a sad story

I'd definitely recommend this read the way it was written and the readers voice captuvates

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  • Anonymous User
  • 07-03-22

Society failed this little girl

What a devastating early life young Zoe had. Every time you think things couldn't get any worse, the social workers and police ignore the abuse in plain sight. During this story I just wanted to reach into the book and rescue this poor child from her awful parents and abusers. I would love to hear more from Zoe about how her life is going now. I truly hope she is thriving, she deserves a break.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 12-05-21

raw insight

I enjoyed this book as I have come from a similar background, the narater is really good to listen to

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  • Alana Voigt
  • 09-22-20

A fantastic listen!

This book is another example of how the social justice system is a complete let down. Zoe deserves to be commended on overcoming the hand that she was dealt with and becoming a strong and independent woman. Accepting her weaknesses and building on them to redefine herself. I’ve never been prouder of a stranger.

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  • emma
  • 05-20-20

disturbing and heartbreaking

Couldn't stop listening. How could social services treat Zoe so cruely? I can't believe how everyone knew she was being trafficked, but did nothing to help her. It makes you wander, what could Abbie and Natily's motives have been when they sold Zoe. I hope things have changed today.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 02-15-20

A story of bravery, resilience and bounce

A challenging read. At times I wanted to stop listening, unable to comprehend how awful Zoe's life was.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 01-21-20

gripping and heart braking

very well written and read excellently. I loved this raw, honest, heart breaking story. had me hooked in with every word.