Just a Child: Britain's Biggest Child Abuse Scandal Exposed

by Sammy Woodhouse

Sammy Woodhouse was just 14 when she met Arshid Hussain. Ten years older, he promised to take care of her. Sammy thought she was in love, but in reality she was being groomed by a ringleader of Britain's most notorious child sex ring. Just A Child tells the heartbreaking story of how a young girl from Rotherham was abused by her drug-dealing "boyfriend," eventually giving birth to his baby, right under the nose of the very authorities who were meant to protect her. When reality dawned and Sammy realized she was one of countless vulnerable child victims—many of whom were trafficked around the north of England—she took it upon herself to blow the whistle and save others from a similar fate. Thanks to Sammy's bravery, the gang was fully exposed, as well as the authorities that did little to help her. Her shocking account of how these events came to pass will enrage and sadden but, above all, it will offer hope and show why this must never happen again.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Crime, Audiobook, True Story, Psychology

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2018

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an open and honest, true account of Sammy Woodhouse being groomed by a man who was ten years older than her. Sammy was just fourteen when she met the man who would manipulate her into thinking she was the only one for him. How her relationship with her parents and siblings broke down and she ended up in foster care. The lengths her father went to to try and get the police involved. The violence is shocking. A childhood that was taken away from her and her fight to stop other women going through what she has. This is a remarkable story of a young woman who is determined to make changes to services and the law.

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must've read a number of books about the Rochdale grooming circle. But I still seem to gravitate towards more of them.
Sammy's account of her time with her violent 'boyfriend' Ash is very upsetting to read. She is so young and naive and doesn't understand that what this disgusting man is doing to her is not love, but control. In staying with this man and allowing him to continue treating her this badly, she loses her family and her support network.
I don't have much to say on my thoughts because they haven't changed since I first became aware of this case. I am still shocked and horrified that so many of these poor girls were subjected to such hell at the hands of these powerful and controlling men.

[Chris Steeden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve got wonder why I buy these books. They are so upsetting. This is Sammy Woodhouse’s story of those terrible grooming events in Rotherham, Yorkshire in the north of England. 1,400 children were subjected to child sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. The real figure could be as many as 2,000.

The thing here is that Sammy is just from a normal family. Mum, dad and two sisters. They live on a council estate but they own their own home. They go on foreign holidays. She was an impressionable 14-year-old when the grooming begins. I cannot tell you how much this sickens me. She meets Ash who was in his twenties (10 years older than her in-fact), ‘I couldn’t believe how nice he was. He was like my Prince Charming, and I felt like the luckiest girl in Rotherham.’

Her Prince Charming was a predatory evil paedophile and drug dealer. She could not see this being so young. She was besotted with him. The authorities know that he is seeing her but nothing is done. He should at least have been prosecuted for statutory rape and put on the sex offenders list just for this. Sammy’s impression of the police is not surprising, ‘…I decided there and then that relying on the police to help me was the last thing I was going to do. I didn’t feel supported in any way…’

The authorities suspected Ash of ‘grooming dozens of young teenagers to sell for sex, and it was very clear to me that the police and social services knew this but, inexplicably, still let him roam the streets of Rotherham.’ The council was more worried about its reputation than helping the children it was supposed to care for.

The fact that Sammy not only gets through all the above but comes out the other side as a campaigner is truly heroic. Her work after the trial of her abuser and others is extraordinary and I have no doubt it will help other children and hopefully will stop the way councils like Rotherham acted. I wish Sammy all the very best of luck with her endeavours.

[Madeleine Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this difficult but important book, Sammy Woodhouse shows us how it easy was for her to be groomed by a man 10 years older than when she was just 14.
For anyone who asks why do victims of CSE stay with their abusers, this book will educate them on how their minds are manipulated creating an unhealthy dependency, making it hard to break away from
This book should be read by all that are involved with the care of children. It is raw, honest and powerful. Sammy may have had her childhood taken away from her, but her determination to prevent other children going though what she did is admirable and she is now committed and instrumental in making changes to services and laws

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to say ... hard to read at times.. the occasional ' what the hell are you doing staying with this guy ?'

Child grooming told by Sammy Woodhouse is harrowing at times .. the lack of care and belief from the services that should have been her salvation .

Read and learn

[Natalie Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocking open and honest book about the Rotherham child abuse scandal.

[Barry Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just A Child by Sammy Woodhouse is a deeply moving and courageous memoir that exposes the horrific reality of child sexual exploitation, specifically by Pakistani Muslim rape gangs. Sammy’s raw and honest account of being victimized by these predators at a young age is both heart-wrenching and eye-opening. Her powerful story of survival and eventual empowerment is a testament to her strength and resilience. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the devastating impact of such abuse, and it serves as a call to action for greater awareness and justice. Sammy Woodhouse's journey is one of immense courage, offering hope and inspiration to others who have faced unimaginable challenges.

[Simon Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad sad tale of manipulation and brainwashing. It’s easy to see how it happens given the child and the right circumstances. I’ve always found it hard to understand why the victim/survivor can’t just walk away but Sammy lays clear the thoughts, feelings and, essentially, ideologies that are created in a young, developing psyche that lead to her pushing away and creating trauma in all of her previously dear, and solid, family relationships.
Harrowing. Honest. No holds barred. An informative read for anyone who has experienced similar issues, and definitely for professionals working in this arena. Poor Sammy, her family, and so many others were failed by professional agencies. Indeed, her abuser was actually helped and facilitated by both action and inaction on the part of agencies that shouldn’t have known better.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horrific but so easy to read, I couldn’t put it down. The author is inspirational and I’m so glad that this ended with some positive action taken against child abusers.

[Ditti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A #metoo hullám kellős közepén az egész Egyesült Királyságot felbolygatta egy eset, mely tanúsága szerint több, mint 1400 egykori kislány írhatta le ezt az egy szót a gyerekkorára gondolva. Hogy ez mind kiderülhetett, az Samantha Woodhouse bátorságának köszönhető.

Rotherham városában ugyanis a kétezres évek hajnalán egy pakisztáni testvérekből álló csoport használt kiskorúakat szexuális kizsákmányolás címén. Volt, aki csak egy emberrel, mások többekkel kényszerültek az aktusokra, ám, ami a leghátborzongatóbb, az az, hogy ezek a kislányok egyáltalán nem voltak tudatában, mi is történik velük.

Samantha Woodhouse is egyike azon nőknek szerte a világon, akik ifjú, tapasztalatlan lánykaként elhitték, hogy egy fiú szerelme egyenlő az erőszakkal, mind fizikai, mind szexuális téren. Hogy a bántalmazó kapcsolat valójában a normális dolog.

Akik a pedofíliától, mint témától hányingert kapnak, azoknak sem kell tartaniuk a könyvtől, a szexuális ábrázolások nem igazán vannak részletezve. Nem úgy a lelki vonulatok! Felkavaróan tárja elénk a könyv, miként kerülhet valaki függésbe a zaklatójától, hogyan fordul át a kezdeti beetetés egyre nagyobb mértékű kegyetlenkedésbe, mígnem, mire az áldozatból már mindent kivettek, amit lehet, elhajítsák, mint egy használt zsebkendőt.

Az áldozat pedig oldja meg a dolgot, ahogy tudja. Még a legnagyobb árulások és kegyetlenkedések közepette is ragaszkodik ilyenkor az ember a zaklatójához. Elveszít mindent, ami igazán fontos lehetett volna az életében: családot, barátokat, iskolát. Majd mihelyst erre ráébred, kezdődnek a pszichoszomatikus tünetek, gyomorfekély, érvagdosás, öngyilkosság, depresszió, étkezési zavarok.

Azért azt is nagyon érdekes volt látni, az angliai rendőrök is mennyire nem kompetensek, ha a gyerekvédelemről van szó. A helyi hatóságok _mindvégig_ összejátszottak az elkövetőkkel, Samantha Woodhouse sok-sok fenyegetés és zaklatás után kereste meg a The Times újságíróját, hogy végre robbanjon az a bizonyos bomba. Ennek hatására sok-sok viszontagság után kerültek végre az elkövetők rács mögé (ez az egyik legizgibb része a könyvnek, mint egy John le Carré történet, csak ez sajnos még igaz is), Samantha pedig folytatja a megkezdett munkát, és harcol az áldozattá válás megelőzéséért, programot dolgozott ki, törvényjavaslatokat fogalmazott meg, járja az iskolákat, hogy felvilágosítsa a gyerekeket arról, miről ismerszik meg egy bántalmazó kapcsolat. És végre kezdi újra megtalálni önmagát.

Katartikus egy könyv, nem is értem, hogy kerülhette el a magyar sajtó figyelmét ez a történet? Miért nem adják ki az ilyen könyveket magyarul?! {{Az egyetlen magyar forrás, amit az eset kapcsán találtam, egy kormánypárti oldal, ahol természetesen az elkövetők migráncs-mivoltára húzták fel az egész sztorit. Jellemző…}}

(Lányos) anyukák és apukák! Ismét egy könyv, amit kötelező olvasmánnyá tennék a számotokra.

[Tim Gillett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, sometimes jaw dropping, sometimes difficult to read account of a disgracefully shameful abolition of duty by police and local council to children being groomed, abused and raped by a group of British Pakistanis in Rotherham.

Well done Sammy Woodhouse for having the courage to turn the terrible ordeal you lived through into an ultimate victory in seeing these dreadful wasters jailed and public officers removed, albeit as you have written, with pay offs which in itself is appalling.

I find it hard to believe that your wonderfully committed parents and siblings were unable to stop the abuse being metered out on you as you became bewitched by the monstrous Ash.

As a magistrate, who has witnessed many cases of crimes, I find it very sad that the police failed you, your parents and sisters so many times. As for Social Services and their overseeing Labour local authority, central government was too late in taking over the dereliction of their duty.

I have the highest regard for journalist Andrew Norfolk and The Times. So tarnished by other affairs, this is a wonderful victory for that newspaper and campaigning journalists whose unstinting tenacity shone a powerful light to expose the serious wrongdoing taking place.

There's little in the book about the Labour MP for Rotherham during this period indicating I presume his silence on the abuse, despite the neighbouring MP Anne Cryer raising the problems of British Asians grooming schoolgirls sometime before Sammy Woodhouse's case. I hope a journalist somewhere can dig in to the record of the Rotherham MP on this matter - any MP worth his salt would have known something was happening.

The work this author has done to lead the assault on grooming and abuse of children will hopefully send out a message to other British Pakistani men to treat white females with full respect.

[Inês · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words to describe this book.
This is the story of a girl whose childhood, whose education, friends and innocence were stolen from her.

Reading about Sammy and her time with her "boyfriend" Ash was heartbreaking. She was quite literally, as the title says "just a child", and yet she had to endure so much pain and hurt, from this adult.
Much unfortunately, it was not only this monster who failed her - it was the police, the justice system, and many more people who turned a blind eye to all the abuse that was happening. How can the police be so blind? How could they let this happen?

Thankfully, Sammy was able to tell the whole world her story. She exposed not only Ash, but all of his pedophile gang. Her work after the trial that sent them to jail is truly inspiring - she's done so much to help ensure no child has to go through the hell she went through. In her trial, she was referred to as "Child J" - absolutely horrifying that there had to be a "Child A", let alone a child "J"!!

My thoughts are a bit all over the place - while my heart breaks for Sammy and all she had to endure, her bravery and courage are truly inspiring.
I think everyone should read it, in order to educate themselves (and their children!) to the dangers of CSE. To all people who say "Just leave your abuser, it's not that hard. Why do you stay with him?", I would recommend this book — Sammy explains why it's not so easy to just leave, how it was almost was if she was "under a spell".

Heartbreaking, yet inspiring.

[Rosie Kind · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read and amazingly brave author

It was hard to put this book down. Sammy Woodhouse has been amazingly brave to write about her experience being sexually exploited as a child. She has gone on to highlight how children have been victims of the terrible abuse she and others experienced in Rotherham. Informing and making recommendations to government and police, including meeting David Cameron when he was Prime Minister shows her strength and commitment to stamping out the abuse of children. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and I admire Sammy’s strength and courage. Well done Sammy

[Lisa Jeffers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook and was riveted from the start.
This is Sammy’s account of her life during which she was groomed and abused from the age of 14. Sammy documents the shocking failures she faced from the services which were suppose to keep her safe and how these failures impacted on her life and the lives of her family.
The only negative for me was the narrator.
The story is horrific and in my opinion it’s read with no emotion and with no feeling which kind of neutralised what I felt the author was conveying?
Overall I think this is a very important account in today’s age and it was definitely an eye opener.

[Katie Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

Such a hard reading account of what Sammy went through at the hands of her groomer and how he brainwashed and abused her for years.
This book tells what happened to Sammy and how she became a survivor.
Well done Sammy for standing up, getting your voice heard and getting these monsters out away. But also for pathing the way for other victims of child sexual exploitation to come forward.

[Adele Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly sickening and heartbreaking read.

This book triggered me. I experienced some things as a child that I obviously blocked out and although what happened to me is a drop in the Ocean compared to some of the survivors in the book, it’s made me realise how common CSE can be and how many survivors don’t come forward.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings on this one, I did find it an interesting and shocking read, to start with I mostly felt sorry for the parents .

[Crystal M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book that made you so angry you wanted to scream into it? Well this is that book. In this book Sammy describes growing up in England and becoming victim to a very abusive pedophile from Pakistan named Ash. She meets him through a friend when she’s 14 and he is 24. Within 4 months of meeting him she’s sneaking off at night, running away for days at a time, skipping school, not coming home for curfew, drinking, doing drugs and she’s pregnant. Her parents try desperately to stop her from seeing Ash as they know he’s older and has no business with a 14 year old girl. Her parents report him to the police and social services OVER AND OVER AND OVER but each time are told that unless Sammy will make a complaint they can’t do anything even though she is below the age of consent and they know that(Ash is paying them off). She ends up getting an abortion because her father threatens to DNA test the baby if it’s born to prove the statutory rape allegations he’s been making. Sammy thinks she’s deeply in love with Ash but the reality is he’s married with 2 kids, sleeps with and trafficks hundreds of under age girls, deals drugs, beats her, and more than once nearly kills her. By the time she’s 16 she’s pregnant again and also goes into foster care as her constant fighting with her parents over seeing Ash has torn her family apart and they don’t feel they can keep her safe from him. While she’s in care her foster mom allows Ash to see her knowing full well he is a grown man and she is a child pregnant by a grown man and that the whole reason she was in care was because of her relationship with Ash. Before she gives birth Ash stabs someone with a screw driver 12 times and goes to jail for it, she gets tired of Ash’s cheating and lying (nothing else apparently though, I guess the rape, beatings and abuse and the fact that he was married with kids were all tolerable 🥴) although she never stops loving him and she finally leaves him before the baby is born. When she had the baby his family comes to visit her and the baby in the hospital even though he is married with children already and she is a minor and she lets them in! Unfortunately Ash is constantly looking for her and stalking her so she’s always looking over her shoulder because he did not get a long jail term for the attempted murder with a screw driver. Eventually he finds her at a mall and nearly kills her and kicks her pram over with his own son inside of it. After this she begins stripping and making a myriad of other poor choices, meanwhile Ash gets into a gun fight and ends up paralyzed. She gets pregnant by another abusive guy and has the baby. When her son by Ash is about 9 he becomes a real handful behaviour wise and her brilliant mind decides if she gets a hold of Ash and lets HIM parent her son who he kicked over in the pram as a new born (that alone should be attempted murder?? Like what?? You can’t kick a stroller over with a new born in it and not get at least a child abuse charge??) that that would straighten her son out. It goes well at first and she even lets Ash have him for weeks on end. She switches his school to Ash’s district and moves closer to Ash. (Mind you Ash is a known violent criminal and pedophile who’s tried to kill her multiple times??) Ash then fakes having cancer to gain more sympathy from her, tells their son he can’t eat pork even though she told Ash she didn’t want their son to be Muslim, tries to arrange to have him circumcised without her consent (as a 10 year old?) and even begins arranging a marriage for him for when he is 12 to one of his cousins! During this time more than one of Ash’s family members sexually propositions her in a very disgusting way basically saying she isn’t bad looking and that they know she has needs and that they have already spoken to Ash and he has agreed to the arrangement of them ‘taking care of her needs’. Just disgusting. She FINALLY realizes what an utter idiot she’s been and that she has gotten herself and both her sons into extreme danger. Danger that could have been completely avoided had she made better choices and not used her son as an excuse to have contact with her abuser again simply because she couldn’t get over him after 10 years. It is beyond pathetic and disturbing. I am not usually this harsh when writing reviews about books written by survivors of abuse but I have never read a book where someone survives and completely escapes their abuse but then CHOOSES 10 years later to put not only themselves but their children in the same situation they escaped which was deadly. It’s beyond ridiculous. By the point she tries to stop Ash from doing the above illegal, abusive and ridiculous things he’s put a police order out on her and the school will not let her pick her kids up. Once she gets that sorted she tries to cut contact with Ash again but him and his family begin stalking her just like they did years ago when she got away the first time. Once she gets away from Ash again her sister confronts her saying that there’s been women coming forward who were groomed by Ash and that her testimony would really help since she was groomed, abused, and had a child by Ash as a minor. By this point she’s nearly 30 with 2 kids one who’s almost a teenage and she STILL doesn’t believe she was abused. She genuinely believes he was her boyfriend even though she was a minor. SURELY, SURELY as an adult she must know that adults who have sex with children are pedophiles?? At least I hope so or I have serious concern for the safety of her own children?? Like what? This is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard, her children should have been removed from her care the second they were born considering the relationships she was in at both times never mind the fact she’s an unfit mother with absolutely no ability to critically think and keep her children away from people who raped, beat and almost killed her multiple times?? She sees a newspaper article in a store after Ash and his brothers are charged with grooming and trafficking hundreds of girls and this is what crosses her mind, this is a direct quote from the book ‘I know he beat me and cheated on me, but crazy and exciting boyfriends like Ash did that, didn’t they?’ She STILL does not understand. What happened to her as a child was not her fault, she was abused, but she had her whole family and eventually the police trying to save her from him the whole time! She had to have known she was being abused and she still stayed with him way too long and then got her son involved with the very same pedophile who abused, raped and beat her. There is just no excuse for a mother bringing her child around someone she knows is an extremely physically violent pedophile. She’s lucky he wasn’t groomed, raped and sold off over seas, forget an arranged incestuous marriage and a circumcision! I was really enjoying this book until she decided as a grown woman to put her children in danger. She eventually wakes up from the dream land she’s had herself in for years and realizes she was groomed, abused and raped. She develops an eating disorder and becomes suicidal and struggles to get help. She eventually decides to speak with police about what happened to her and she’s initially blown off so she decides to talk to a reporter who writes a 4 page story about all the abuse that’s happened and how social services, police, and other adults were involved in covering up the abuse so it could continue. This got the police’s attention and every person in authority who was named as being involved resigned and a massive investigation called operation clover began. When Ash and his counter parts finally went to trial it was revealed there was 2000+ victims and over 450 people involved in the commission or cover up of the trafficking ring. Some of the victims abuse was much more severe than hers here is a direct quote from the book ‘one survivor told the jury she was abused from the age of 11, and that Ash had passed her onto his brother and friends as payment for debts. She was beaten, had a cigarette stubbed out on her chest and was tied up and raped, often by numerous men, one after another at the say so of Arshid Hussain.’(Ash’s legal name) Ash got sentenced to 35 years and Sammy began speaking out about CSE (child sexual exploitation). She creates charities, gets laws changed, goes after victim’s compensation companies for not giving victims what they are owed, and creates lectures and modules to teach all forms of authority about CSE. Unfortunately the abuse didn’t stop after this as the cycle continues in families just like Ash’s with the male children becoming teens and then adult perpetrators themselves, many other investigations have been launched since Ash’s trial and all are under the umbrella of ‘the Rotherham grooming ring’. I am only giving this book 3 stars because the content is consistent with books I like to read, if I was basing my review solely on the the authors experience I would be tempted to give it 1 star because she was just so unbelievably stupid and out herself and her children at such risk.

[KATY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha Woodhouse is an incredibly brave and strong woman. To have the strength to come forward with this story and to continue to fight for change in this area is inspiring.

This story was one that my mum recommended to me. I knew that it would be a difficult read because my mum is heavily involved with CSE in West Yorkshire due to her job and so I have some context of what this means and of some of the horrific situations that have happened to other young people close to where I grew up. I listened to this via audible as now I drive to work my reading time has been drastically reduced and I therefore look to audible to keep my reading fix sustained. The narrator is good, however I did feel that she lacked emotion and it felt like she was speaking in a monotone voice for a lot of it. That didn't take away from the story though.

Just a Child talks through Sammy's life, spans decades and highlights the failings of multiple services that are meant to be there to protect you. This memoir details how Sammy was only 14 when a man 10 years her senior began to exploit her innocence and naivety. It explains how Sammy's relationships with anyone that wasn't her abuser broke down and how she become completely dependant on him. It explains how her family tried to break the connection and tried so many times to involved the services and received no help. While this story is harrowing, it is also incredibly powerful and helps to highlight how serious these types of incidents are. It makes me sad to know how the services failed Sammy at so may different points in her journey. I'm also hopeful that the world is developing and finally accepting that child exploitation and grooming are sadly a large part of the world at present and need more awareness to help others that either haven't come forward, come to terms or are even stuck in a situation like Sammy's.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sammy Woodhouse was also known as “Child J” during the trial of the Rotherham child sex abuse ring, but would later bravely reveal her identity for this book. Although this is her story of her experience with an exploitation ring, the story has similarities to other rings, with just the location being different. Sammy was abused by one member of the ring, whereas some of the other children were passed around between multiple men. Unlike some of the other victims she hadn’t even realised she was being exploited. The emotional cost was equally as damaging in all of the cases no matter the subtle differences. Regardless if it’s Oxford, Rochdale, Newcastle, Manchester, Huddersfield, Derby, stories from inside these “rings” are horrifying - not only were these children groomed and abused by gangs of cunning pedophiles, they were also let down over and over again by the police and social services. This has been documented in the books written by the victims. In Sammy’s case her parents were broken by what they were seeing/suspecting and their inability to protect her, or to get the police to assist them,even after she became pregnant at 14 to a 25 year old man, or when she was caught naked in bed with him. In each of these towns those in the system that tried to help, or raise the alarm to what was going on were silenced, ignored, shut down or moved on.
This is not the first book I have read on these rings, and it leaves you feeling such disgust, but I think any parent, or anybody who cares about young people should read these books so they know what to look for, and can better understand children, and the signs to look out for.

[Kerri Selby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this would be an hard, emotional read when I picked it up at the library, but I also know, awareness of such topics is vitally important.

Having read articles about the Rotherham paedophile scandal, I knew a little about what had gone on, but to read a survivors account of what happened, blows you away.

This is the shocking true story of an amazingly brave Sammy Woodhouse, who was groomed, brainwashed and abused, by a paedophile who was 10 years her senior!
She tells how she met Hussain, how he lured her in, turned her against friends & family, ruined her education, and got her pregnant at the age of 15, and she was repeatedly let down by those in authority, who failed to protect her & turned a blind eye to the abuse that they knew was happening!
Although a child when she had her first born, James, he was her saving grace, and it was after he was born, Sammy started to realise that her situation wasn't right at all.
She then recounts how she set about exposing the grooming & the people who kept quiet!

I think Sammy is an amazing woman, who has been through hell and back, but is a strong survivor! Even at her lowest point, when she thought she would break, she held on! Even when those very authorities that turned a blind eye to what was happening, tried to stop her uncovering the shocking web of cover ups, she stood against the storm, like a true warrior!

[Anna Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This girl was amazing for her age and how she coped with everything life threw at her. It was so sad to read how the Police, Social services etc let her/parents down along with hundreds of other girls. They tried 'blaming' the girls who were just children, and forgiving/allowing the adults to abuse these girls. Sammy is a very strong young woman despite her years of abuse. She does not like being referred to as a 'Victim' but a 'Survivor'. I would always call Sammy a 'survivor', and an amazing role model to educate young girls on how easy these paedophiles can groom young girls, before abusing them. In my eyes Sammy you are amazing I wish you the best of luck. If it was not for the Times and that great reporter with Sammy printing her story going public, I can imagine this would still be hidden. Why I ask myself do people in authority supposed to protect children, feel that it is acceptable to 'blame' the victim instead of the 'abuser'. I would highly recommend this book. It is in no way a 'Feel sorry for me book'.

[ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

As difficult as this was to read, with the horrible and incredibly frustrating situation that she was too naive to realise she was in, I’m so glad I read it. The honest, disturbing story is needed to encourage others to come forward, as well as spread awareness of the issue and how easy it can be for a young teenager to be groomed. I applaud Sammy Woodhouse’s bravery and determination to stick with her story and keep pushing forward until improvements were shown. The failures and corruption from the authorities is disgusting and infuriating. It can be a terrifying and dangerous world already, but far more so when those in place to keep you safe fail to do so. And Andrew, what a gem! Among the lack of help from those who were supposed to give it, I’m so glad there were people like Andrew who helped Sammy and help expose the paedophiles. No one deserves to go through such terrible circumstances but coming out of it strong and launching campaigns to help others is brilliant and inspiring.

[Simon Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing account of the systematic grooming and abuse of a young girl in Rotherham.

The power of this book is in it's writing- it takes you along on Sammy's journey as her abuser convinces her that he loves her and that they are in a normal relationship. In actual fact she is being abused and coerced into staying in this vile relationship whilst being brainwashed into committing various crimes such as armed robberies.

Sammy's story is slightly different to other grooming cases in that her abuser didn't pass her onto other men for their sexual gratification. She was his to use and abuse at will which also made her suffer serious cognitive dissonance as to whether what she had been through had actually been grooming or not.

This book should be used in schools to teach children about the dangers of grooming so that they can recognise the signs and red flags regarding this horrific phenomenon.

A disturbing book but a rewarding one and all power to Sammy for telling the world what she went through.

[KarYan Lam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about how a teenage girl (Sammy, now a survivor and activist) was being groomed to have a toxic relationship with an adult man, only to realize it was inappropriate after 14 years. I only have time to read after work. But I finished the book in only 3 days as I couldn't put the book down as soon as I had started reading it. Cried like a child during the part where Sammy's dad went to the abuser a.k.a Ash's house to reason with Ash's family but charged and hurt by Ash when dad was not notice. Sammy's dad loves Sammy so much, I hope Sammy spends more time with her dad now to compensate for the time they had lost in the past. 😭 I am also very thankful for Sammy's determination to amend the laws to protect the children and find it to be very inspiring. It is a must-read for everyone especially parents and teenagers to develop self-awareness of child sexual exploitation.

[J Ard · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest, raw and unvarnished account of a young girl’s abusive relationship with a paedophile.
You’ll later be introduced to the character in question he goes by the name of ‘mad Ash’. Not only is he a fully certified fruit loop, but he’s incredibly skilled in the art of mind effery (with girls under the age of 16). You’d like to hope that the powers at be would’ve questioned why a drug lord in his mid twenties, along with all his brothers, uncles, cousins etc kept picking up young girls from school and why girls kept dropping out from school, but, alas, no, of course they failed (they’re incompetent). So this Mad Ash bloke kept bribing girls with take aways, booze, and other items that young girls consider to be cool. Along with handing them a full serving of weird and abusive mind games (gaslighting, triggering jealousy, physical violence, threats) just general emotional warfare, the stuff that that a man in his mid twenties is really far too old to be doing.

Some sections seem like it’s from a really dark comedy, like an officer claiming that the young girl engaged in ‘consensual RAPE’ and the bit where this ‘mad ash’ loses his s#%t over his victim wanting a packet of beef and onion crisps, but it’s not. This was the reality for Sam Woodhouse and many other victims, and I find her bravery incredibly inspiring. The effect he had on peoples lives, including her mother were devastating. I have a very Victorian perspective of how criminals should be dealt with and I’m not sure if justice is being fully served.

Big up to Andrew Norfolk, The Times investigator, who had the guts to call it for what it was and publish his article, which triggered the resignations incompetent civil service staff. Good people with courge still do exist 👏

[Helin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in two days - this never happens. I literally could not put it down and it would always be on my mind even when I was not reading it. This is a memoir that is going to stick... I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next and was full of anxiety the more I read. Sammy made a lot of mistakes and I think she was lucky to have a family that cared - especially her dad. Sammy's story is tragic but I have this weird obsession with reading tragic memoirs because I enjoy the easy writing style and matter-of-fact tone.

I cannot believe so many kids went through this and it aches to know that CSE (Child Sexual Exploitation) is still happening behind so many closed doors and dark corners that we do not know of. This is why it is important to create a close relationship with your child so they do not keep things away from you and to not give them too much freedom (why am I lecturing like I am a mum lol!). I am happy that justice is served and wish that their punishment - they know who they are - lasts an eternity.

[Ria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a Child was an incredibly powerful read, though it was also deeply tragic. The true story of the author's childhood is heartbreaking, and at times, it was difficult to process the level of suffering she endured. However, what truly stood out to me was how clearly and honestly the story was told. There was no sensationalism—just raw, unflinching truth. The author's ability to recount such painful memories in a straightforward, yet deeply emotional way really made her story resonate. I couldn’t help but feel both devastated by the cruelty she faced and in awe of her strength. It’s a tough book to read, but one that I’m so glad I did. It’s a stark reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, even in the most harrowing of circumstances.

[Moira Harker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always tried to steer away from true stories about abuse but I'm really glad that i read this one. Although it was about the abuse that she experienced through the early teenage years; it also highlighted the horrific system failures that lead to this young lady being groomed by one of the most notorious gangs of pedophiles in England. It has a very powerful message that would help survivors of abuse. This one young lady has had such an impact on the way in which survivors are cared for after the events.

[Harriet Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and Emotional Read

Such a brilliant and moving insight into the realities of what happened in Rotherham and what happened to Sammy growing up and how she came through it. I couldn't put it down even though it was very shocking and disturbing at times it was so interesting and moving and really makes you more aware of CSE and how it can be so easy for people to exploit children if the signs early on are ignored or unseen by adults. Recommend this to everyone as it's a must read for all!