Member Review

Cover Image: One Law for the Rest of Us

One Law for the Rest of Us

Pub Date:

Review by

Paromjit H, Reviewer

This is a terrific legal thriller, set in a 1970s Britain that encapsulates the power of the establishment, political, religious, and beyond in squashing any possibility of justice in the crimes of child sexual abuse. Murphy's novel takes into account the shortcomings of the law, and the harrowing experiences of victims driven to despair at being silenced and ignored. Audrey Marshall is taking a stand, her young daughter, Emily, was a boarder at the Church school of Lacelot Andrewes School, near Ely in Cambridgeshire, run by Father Desmond Gerrard as headmaster since 1936. Father Gerrard takes a girl in her nightdress from the dormitories and makes her available to his male guests to sexually abuse in his private library at night. These men prefer girls between the ages of 7-12 years of age, and Emily was one of the many girls abused in this way.

Audrey attended the same Church school as Emily, with her older sister, Joan, as girls orphaned when their parents were killed in the London Blitz in WW2, given places by the Church as an act of charity. Audrey is traumatised when her suppressed memories surface, revealing that she too had been sexually abused as a child in the 1940s. Despite knowing what she is up against, Audrey and Emily want justice, and to this end, hire well known and experienced solicitor, Julia Cathermole, who will do her utmost to help them. In a story of twists, Audrey is tested to her limits but inspired by the courage of little Emily as she persists in her struggle to get justice as at every turn, her hopes are dashed. She is helped and supported by her loyal husband, Ken, and her committed prosecuting team of barristers, Ben Schroeder and Ginny Castle. Further support is provided by Andrew Pilkington, senior prosecuting counsel at the Old Bailey, John Carwell, deputy director at the office of DPP, and police officers DI Steffi Walsh and DI Ted Phillips.

Murphy gives us a tense and thrilling novel that could only have been written by an experienced member of the legal profession, full of informative details of the law, with an intimate portrayal of the judicial process in 1970s Britain. It charts some of the obstacles that faced Audrey and Emily, such as the problems associated with recovered memories, the laws on corroboration and regarding children as not competent when serving as witnesses. Thankfully, much has changed since then, and whilst it is by no means easy getting justice today, there have been changes for the better within the police and the law, with a much better informed public after the numerous scandals on child sexual abuse that have come to light in our recent history. Murphy immerses the reader in the entire legal process in this heartbreaking, utterly compelling and brilliant look at an issue where victims were often not believed in this historical time period and perpetrators escaped justice with ease. This is gripping legal fiction based on the realities of the law in this period of time and the emotional traumas faced by the huge number of child victims throughout their lives. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Oldcastle Books for an ARC.
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