Altar Boy: A Story of Life after Abuse

by Andrew Madden (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2004

  $3.30

  First person account of a boy sexually abused by a Catholic priest in Dublin and his struggle to cope in later years. Details his efforts to get compensation from the church.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2003

  $3.30

  Becoming an altar boy was Andrew Madden's first step in realizing his dream of becoming a priest. But his dream was shattered when he was molested by his favourite priest, Father Ivan Payne. Three years of abuse followed, ending when he was 15. That dreadful episode in his life left him shunned by the Irish Church, unable to sustain sexual relationships and an alcoholic. In the early 90s, Andrew reached a financial settlement with Father Payne and became the first Irish victim of clerical sexual abuse to go public with his story. Altar Boy is a vivid evocation of what it is for a child to have his innocence and trust abused and of how it can affect a life - as well as a challenging assessment of the Irish Church.