In the Hands of Strangers
A New Zealand childhoo stolen
Beverly
Wardle-Jackson
‘We were children caught up in a welfare system that
was meant to protect us, but ultimately served only to damage us. Yes, it was a
different time, but many of the things that happened to us wouldn’t be
acceptable in any era. My name is Beverly Wardle-Jackson, and this is my
story.’
In 1965, at the age of 12, Beverly
Wardle-Jackson,and her nine brothers and sisters were removed from her family
and taken into the care of Child Welfare. This was not the first time this had
happened, but it was to be the last, as Berverly was made a ward of the state.
Although this was deemed to be in the best interests of the children, it was
the beginning of one little girl’s nightmare.
In the Hands of Strangers is the
heart-wrenching, terribly sad story of Beverly Wardle-Jackson’s stolen childhood. After
becoming a State Ward Beverly spent five harrowing years being beaten, locked
up, and eventually admitted to Porirua Hospital in Wellington for psychiatric
treatment. Her trust was betrayed time and again, while she dreamed of the day
she would finally be reunited with her siblings.
Beverly did not regain her freedom until she was
17, at which point she was pregnant. Now a grandmother in her sixties, Beverly
has bravely decided to share the story of her lost childhood.
More about the author:
Beverly Wardle-Jackson was first removed from
her family and taken into Child Welfare care in 1959 at the age of eight. Four
years later she was permanently separated from her brothers and sisters and
made a state ward. She spent the next five years in state-run institutions.
March 2015 - : Penguin - RRP $38.00
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