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Trapped: My true story of a battle for justice after a childhood of hell
'Della's story is tragic, shocking and heart-breaking, but she must be heard. Della is an inspirational and dedicated campaigner who I've been proud to support. Her book eloquently portrays her past vulnerability and her steadfast determination to help others. A must read' Sarah Champion, MP
'I'd been the unwanted child, the little girl who got in the way. I swore I'd put my abuser behind bars and I'd fight with every breath in my body against the life sentence he'd given me. This was my time.'
Della Wright is an incredible campaigner for the rights of abuse victims after suffering a lifetime of betrayal.
Left alone at home for the first time at only two years old by those tasked with her care, Della was let down first by social services. When known paedophile Terry Price entered her life when she was six, moving into her home, he would groom and sexually abuse her for the next five years. Even the sight of a little girl going to his probation meetings wasn't enough to make the authorities act.
After a lifetime of violent relationships and mental health problems, Della eventually managed to put her childhood abuser behind bars for 22 years, a decade after first going to the police. He had changed his name multiple times to evade detection for his many crimes.
As an ambassador for the Safeguarding Alliance, Della now campaigns to ensure offenders cannot slip through the net by giving themselves new identities. She has vowed to try and stop anyone experiencing the same neglect, betrayal and abuse she did.
'I'd been the unwanted child, the little girl who got in the way. I swore I'd put my abuser behind bars and I'd fight with every breath in my body against the life sentence he'd given me. This was my time.'
Della Wright is an incredible campaigner for the rights of abuse victims after suffering a lifetime of betrayal.
Left alone at home for the first time at only two years old by those tasked with her care, Della was let down first by social services. When known paedophile Terry Price entered her life when she was six, moving into her home, he would groom and sexually abuse her for the next five years. Even the sight of a little girl going to his probation meetings wasn't enough to make the authorities act.
After a lifetime of violent relationships and mental health problems, Della eventually managed to put her childhood abuser behind bars for 22 years, a decade after first going to the police. He had changed his name multiple times to evade detection for his many crimes.
As an ambassador for the Safeguarding Alliance, Della now campaigns to ensure offenders cannot slip through the net by giving themselves new identities. She has vowed to try and stop anyone experiencing the same neglect, betrayal and abuse she did.
- GenresMemoir
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2022
9 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 3, 2024
How amazing of Della to share her harrowing story of the constant failure, from social services, family and education system, meaning she was vulnerable with social care knowing she was in the hands of a convicted child sex offender. It is a hard read, however sharing and telling this story, may well save our children from further harm. Della is now bravely sharing her story in a bid to change the law to stop these offenders from being able to change their name and essentially wiping their identity, with free reign to have access to our children.
February 26, 2023
Been wanting to read this for a while as it’s by a local woman. This is such a sad read of Della’s childhood and how she was sexually, physically and mentally abused and how the people that were meant to protect her failed her and even social services. It just shows there’s people who slip through even though they really shouldn’t. Such a great read and I couldn’t put the book down
I love the campaign that Della has called Della’s law so that people who are convicted of crimes can’t get away with changing their name and not leave a trail back to their past as people can be a convicted pedophile and change their name but their past is wiped in a way as they don’t declare a name change. I hope for all the children of today that this law gets passed to protect vulnerable people
I love the campaign that Della has called Della’s law so that people who are convicted of crimes can’t get away with changing their name and not leave a trail back to their past as people can be a convicted pedophile and change their name but their past is wiped in a way as they don’t declare a name change. I hope for all the children of today that this law gets passed to protect vulnerable people
January 6, 2024
It's comforting to hear that somebody else was completely neglected by not only her parents but by the social workers suppose to be helping them. It is ridiculous! It's not that hard to show compassion to a young boy or girl struggling! I don't care how much time you have!... This book is a place to relate and reflect and she did a pretty good job at making a place where victims can feel like they are not alone. I must add that I found that this book got more and more intense as it went on. I was a ball of fire on what was happening to this girl! 🔥👊
February 3, 2024
💔
Della Wright's story is truly heartfelt, going beyond heartbreaking.
Even though I wouldn't have chosen to read it deliberately due to the detailed descriptions of her abuse, my work with traumatized children and youth makes me see how important this kind of literature is.
Understanding signs of abuse can be challenging, and this book might be retraumatizing for those who have experienced it in their lives. I believe that all social workers, pedagogues, teachers, and related professionals should consider reading this book.
It is distressing when those tasked with safeguarding children abandon them, perpetuating further neglect!
Della Wright's story is truly heartfelt, going beyond heartbreaking.
Even though I wouldn't have chosen to read it deliberately due to the detailed descriptions of her abuse, my work with traumatized children and youth makes me see how important this kind of literature is.
Understanding signs of abuse can be challenging, and this book might be retraumatizing for those who have experienced it in their lives. I believe that all social workers, pedagogues, teachers, and related professionals should consider reading this book.
It is distressing when those tasked with safeguarding children abandon them, perpetuating further neglect!
September 18, 2024
This book is extremely sad on behalf of the writer , its amazing how someone can write such horrific details of their past and still be so strong to make it public , the writer is incredible for doing this ! However on the other hand I couldn’t help but feel so against many of the things that this lady did , I know that my opinion would maybe change if I was really in her shoes but I felt myself shouting ‘don’t do that ‘ or ‘ that’s wrong ‘ in my head so many times in the last few chapters , overall great book
October 1, 2024
Holy cow I can’t believe what I have just read! The neglect and abuse is obviously horrific and I can’t understand parents that purposely neglect children to this point, however my real shock was the neglect from social services, society, police, mental health support etc…everyone knew there was a convicted child offender living with a vulnerable child and no one did anything?! Della was failed at so many levels and it’s hard to understand how one person can deal and cope with everything. And trying to make things better to children. Amazing brave woman!
September 2, 2025
Given how tough it is to read of Della’s experience, it is incomprehensible as to what her lived experience was like. This is such a brave, honest and vulnerable story. Her strength through the adversity and work with the Safeguarding Alliance and at parliamentary level is truly admirable. She is absolutely right in that we all have a duty to understand this to protect all children, especially those who end up in circumstances like little Della.
April 6, 2023
An incredibly brave read of Dellas struggles of being exploited, and abused mentally, emotionally and sexually. Let down by those she is meant to trust explicitly.
Della delves into her memories, showcasing how broken our social services and justice system was and still is. How often innocent children are ignored and treated when they speak up.
Della delves into her memories, showcasing how broken our social services and justice system was and still is. How often innocent children are ignored and treated when they speak up.
August 14, 2023
amazing women della!
I felt Very emotional reading this, but I think it needs to be read, and everyone to support dellas law. It was so well written, so truthful, heartbreaking. I couldn’t put the book down. Your a true survivor della
I felt Very emotional reading this, but I think it needs to be read, and everyone to support dellas law. It was so well written, so truthful, heartbreaking. I couldn’t put the book down. Your a true survivor della
May 15, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. It was heartbreaking what Della went through and the amount of times she was let down.
September 23, 2023
Harrowing. Difficult to read at points and would not be a recommended read for anyone who is triggered by CSA.
August 9, 2024
Such a horrific story and very eye opening to all the fallouts in the law regarding CSA - had to give 5. Very well presented by Della, very inspiring and couldn’t have more respect.
December 15, 2022
⭐️ 5/5
📚 117
🗂 Memoir
❤️ The last chapter was so empowering - “we must play our part in changing this or accept that we have colluded in abuse”
⚠️ Abuse, neglect, harm to children
💬 “It truly does take a village to raise a child”
📆 17th November 2022
A candid memoir of Della’s childhood, revealing how those who should have been protecting her from harm, completely let her down.
Della was known to social services from the age of 1 years old. When her mother was known to be absent, she was in and out of temporary care but was always returned into an abusive and neglectful environment.
Then when Terry (the already convicted sex offender) moved into their family home, his inappropriate attention and grooming soon became sexual abuse. Della was 6 years old.
When Terry finally faced trial, it was discovered that he had changed his name by law. The rules currently state that it’s up to the offender to declare a change of name, so an offender who completes DBS or criminal checks who doesn’t tick the box, slips through the net. The Safeguarding Alliance, in a freedom of information request “found that over 900 sex offenders have gone missing from the police between 2017 and 2020” (16/43 forces responded).
*How are we allowing convicted sex offenders to hide?!*
Della has been campaigning for ‘Della’s Law’ since 2018. A law to stop convicted sex offenders from being able to change their names. In August 2022, after a very long battle, an internal government review was carried out but this was not released to the public. We now await the government to propose a solution.
There is no cure for these experiences, we must prevent!!!
📚 117
🗂 Memoir
❤️ The last chapter was so empowering - “we must play our part in changing this or accept that we have colluded in abuse”
⚠️ Abuse, neglect, harm to children
💬 “It truly does take a village to raise a child”
📆 17th November 2022
A candid memoir of Della’s childhood, revealing how those who should have been protecting her from harm, completely let her down.
Della was known to social services from the age of 1 years old. When her mother was known to be absent, she was in and out of temporary care but was always returned into an abusive and neglectful environment.
Then when Terry (the already convicted sex offender) moved into their family home, his inappropriate attention and grooming soon became sexual abuse. Della was 6 years old.
When Terry finally faced trial, it was discovered that he had changed his name by law. The rules currently state that it’s up to the offender to declare a change of name, so an offender who completes DBS or criminal checks who doesn’t tick the box, slips through the net. The Safeguarding Alliance, in a freedom of information request “found that over 900 sex offenders have gone missing from the police between 2017 and 2020” (16/43 forces responded).
*How are we allowing convicted sex offenders to hide?!*
Della has been campaigning for ‘Della’s Law’ since 2018. A law to stop convicted sex offenders from being able to change their names. In August 2022, after a very long battle, an internal government review was carried out but this was not released to the public. We now await the government to propose a solution.
There is no cure for these experiences, we must prevent!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews