Never to be silenced again: Sarah Cook comes out about her abuse in new book

The Advertiser

3 days ago

IN her deeply personal book, survivor Sarah Cook talks first about the the Victorian era adage of "children ought to be seen, and not heard".
It was that concept of how children should behave, and what their place in society was, which cast the first shadow, Ms Cook says in the preface to her book, Harvesting Silence.
Ms Cook is in Newcastle tomorrow (Thursday, July 17) to launch her book, which is dedicated to the family of Andrew Nash. Mr Nash took his own life as a young teenager in 1974 after being abused by a Marist brother in Hamilton.
She hopes particularly that the women, some of whom to this day remain silent about the abuse they have suffered, are listening and that they might be emboldened to speak up.
Ms Cook said she was punished for speaking up to the nuns who then worked at Loreto Kirribilli, a private Catholic girls' school on Sydney's Lower North Shore.
"I was taken into a room with one of the nuns and questioned about this brother, and I told the truth, and she didn't seem to believe me," Ms Cook said.
"And then it was just never discussed ever again."
For the next three-and-a-half years, she was treated like a deviant, Ms Cook said.
"They were cruel, and they picked on me, and I was always in trouble until they eventually expelled me."
It was 40 years later that Ms Cook spoke for the first time about her experiences at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, announced in 2014.
Her case was later investigated by police, and there is now a warrant out for the arrest of the Marist brother allegedly responsible for her abuse as a child between the ages of 8 and 11.
She has also received a written and verbal apology from the Marist brothers, as well as a payout.
They tried to silence her again at that point, the now 61-year-old says.
"I was not to disclose any information about my legal case and the amount that I received," she said.
This time around, rather than staying quiet, she finished writing and has now published her book, which she hopes will inspire other women to break the cycle of shame attached to maintaining silence.
"Those who have been wronged deserve justice," the book's preface says.
"The historical failings of institutions that were meant to protect children-and the present-day practices of the Australian legal system-are laid bare in this book to raise awareness for generations to come."
The book launch is being hosted by the Clergy Abused Network at the Soul Hub from 3.30pm.
IN her deeply personal book, survivor Sarah Cook talks first about the the Victorian era adage of "children ought to be seen, and not heard".
It was that concept of how children should behave, and what their place in society was, which cast the first shadow, Ms Cook says in the preface to her book, Harvesting Silence.
Ms Cook is in Newcastle tomorrow (Thursday, July 17) to launch her book, which is dedicated to the family of Andrew Nash. Mr Nash took his own life as a young teenager in 1974 after being abused by a Marist brother in Hamilton.
She hopes particularly that the women, some of whom to this day remain silent about the abuse they have suffered, are listening and that they might be emboldened to speak up.
Ms Cook said she was punished for speaking up to the nuns who then worked at Loreto Kirribilli, a private Catholic girls' school on Sydney's Lower North Shore.
"I was taken into a room with one of the nuns and questioned about this brother, and I told the truth, and she didn't seem to believe me," Ms Cook said.
"And then it was just never discussed ever again."
For the next three-and-a-half years, she was treated like a deviant, Ms Cook said.
"They were cruel, and they picked on me, and I was always in trouble until they eventually expelled me."
It was 40 years later that Ms Cook spoke for the first time about her experiences at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, announced in 2014.
Her case was later investigated by police, and there is now a warrant out for the arrest of the Marist brother allegedly responsible for her abuse as a child between the ages of 8 and 11.
She has also received a written and verbal apology from the Marist brothers, as well as a payout.
They tried to silence her again at that point, the now 61-year-old says.
"I was not to disclose any information about my legal case and the amount that I received," she said.
This time around, rather than staying quiet, she finished writing and has now published her book, which she hopes will inspire other women to break the cycle of shame attached to maintaining silence.
"Those who have been wronged deserve justice," the book's preface says.
"The historical failings of institutions that were meant to protect children-and the present-day practices of the Australian legal system-are laid bare in this book to raise awareness for generations to come."
The book launch is being hosted by the Clergy Abused Network at the Soul Hub from 3.30pm.
IN her deeply personal book, survivor Sarah Cook talks first about the the Victorian era adage of "children ought to be seen, and not heard".
It was that concept of how children should behave, and what their place in society was, which cast the first shadow, Ms Cook says in the preface to her book, Harvesting Silence.
Ms Cook is in Newcastle tomorrow (Thursday, July 17) to launch her book, which is dedicated to the family of Andrew Nash. Mr Nash took his own life as a young teenager in 1974 after being abused by a Marist brother in Hamilton.
She hopes particularly that the women, some of whom to this day remain silent about the abuse they have suffered, are listening and that they might be emboldened to speak up.
Ms Cook said she was punished for speaking up to the nuns who then worked at Loreto Kirribilli, a private Catholic girls' school on Sydney's Lower North Shore.
"I was taken into a room with one of the nuns and questioned about this brother, and I told the truth, and she didn't seem to believe me," Ms Cook said.
"And then it was just never discussed ever again."
For the next three-and-a-half years, she was treated like a deviant, Ms Cook said.
"They were cruel, and they picked on me, and I was always in trouble until they eventually expelled me."
It was 40 years later that Ms Cook spoke for the first time about her experiences at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, announced in 2014.
Her case was later investigated by police, and there is now a warrant out for the arrest of the Marist brother allegedly responsible for her abuse as a child between the ages of 8 and 11.
She has also received a written and verbal apology from the Marist brothers, as well as a payout.
They tried to silence her again at that point, the now 61-year-old says.
"I was not to disclose any information about my legal case and the amount that I received," she said.
This time around, rather than staying quiet, she finished writing and has now published her book, which she hopes will inspire other women to break the cycle of shame attached to maintaining silence.
"Those who have been wronged deserve justice," the book's preface says.
"The historical failings of institutions that were meant to protect children-and the present-day practices of the Australian legal system-are laid bare in this book to raise awareness for generations to come."
The book launch is being hosted by the Clergy Abused Network at the Soul Hub from 3.30pm.
IN her deeply personal book, survivor Sarah Cook talks first about the the Victorian era adage of "children ought to be seen, and not heard".
It was that concept of how children should behave, and what their place in society was, which cast the first shadow, Ms Cook says in the preface to her book, Harvesting Silence.
Ms Cook is in Newcastle tomorrow (Thursday, July 17) to launch her book, which is dedicated to the family of Andrew Nash. Mr Nash took his own life as a young teenager in 1974 after being abused by a Marist brother in Hamilton.
She hopes particularly that the women, some of whom to this day remain silent about the abuse they have suffered, are listening and that they might be emboldened to speak up.
Ms Cook said she was punished for speaking up to the nuns who then worked at Loreto Kirribilli, a private Catholic girls' school on Sydney's Lower North Shore.
"I was taken into a room with one of the nuns and questioned about this brother, and I told the truth, and she didn't seem to believe me," Ms Cook said.
"And then it was just never discussed ever again."
For the next three-and-a-half years, she was treated like a deviant, Ms Cook said.
"They were cruel, and they picked on me, and I was always in trouble until they eventually expelled me."
It was 40 years later that Ms Cook spoke for the first time about her experiences at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, announced in 2014.
Her case was later investigated by police, and there is now a warrant out for the arrest of the Marist brother allegedly responsible for her abuse as a child between the ages of 8 and 11.
She has also received a written and verbal apology from the Marist brothers, as well as a payout.
They tried to silence her again at that point, the now 61-year-old says.
"I was not to disclose any information about my legal case and the amount that I received," she said.
This time around, rather than staying quiet, she finished writing and has now published her book, which she hopes will inspire other women to break the cycle of shame attached to maintaining silence.
"Those who have been wronged deserve justice," the book's preface says.
"The historical failings of institutions that were meant to protect children-and the present-day practices of the Australian legal system-are laid bare in this book to raise awareness for generations to come."
The book launch is being hosted by the Clergy Abused Network at the Soul Hub from 3.30pm.