After years of physical and mental abuse, Jade thought her kindly foster mother would be the answer to her prayers. She was wrong ... this is her staggering true story. When Jade Kelly met her new foster mother she thought her prayers had been answered. Kindly Carol Docherty was everything her violent, drug addicted mother was not. Loving and nurturing, she fed and clothed ten-year old Jade and offered a life free of fear from near constant abuse. Or so Jade thought. As soon as social workers in Lancashire stopped their regular checks on Jade's progress, Carol turned. Over the next six years Jade and three other girls were effectively kept prisoner in a bedroom she called the 'bad room' and subjected to unrelenting physical and mental abuse.
Shut in the room for 16 hours at a time, they were forbidden from speaking and beaten if they made the slightest sound, banned from using the toilet, starved and routinely humiliated and persecuted, leaving Jade feeling broken and suicidal. It was only years later, when she had access to her files that she saw how badly she was let down. Determined to seek justice, Jade launched a legal action against social services and won compensation from Lancashire Council who admitted failing to protect her. This is the inspiring story of how one woman banished the ghosts of her past by taking action to protect the lives of every vulnerable child in care.
• Jade has never spoken publicly but is writing under her own name and significant national media and social media coverage is guaranteed
• Historic abuse in foster care is a hot topic and Jade's story highlights failings ran far longer than previously thought
• The book that inspired Jade to write her story, Unforgivable by Collette Elliott, sold 24K TCM in PB and received widespread coverage
• Potential to tap into the hugely successful fostering market, demonstrated by Cathy Glass, by showing the darker side of foster care
• Jade's ghostwriter, Douglas Wight, has a proven track record in this market and at securing publicity
