At 10-years-old Lucy Clifford told her mum she was being sexually abused by her father. Now she’s ready to give those words a life of their own as she publishes her memoir, Three Little Words.
The former children’s home worker and now first-time-author is publishing her memoir, Three Little Words, on Friday. The book details her experience of sexual abuse from the ages of six to 10 and the lasting impact it had on her adult life.
She told us: ‘I was a child when I first disclosed I was being abused and at the time I couldn’t say the words out loud. Instead, I wrote down three little words which were ‘dad abuses me’ and that’s how I came to name my book’.
To celebrate the launch, Lucy is hosting a private event at the Rochester Corn Exchange tomorrow (18 September), attended by the Mayor of Medway, Cllr Douglas Hamandishe alongside senior figures and professionals who work with children and young people.
Arguably, Lucy’s work could not have come at a more important time. Figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales show around 9.1% of adults – 4.3 million – experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18.
Before writing her memoir, Lucy spent 18 years working in children’s social care, where her own experiences inspired her to help other children who had been through similar trauma.
‘All I really want to do is help young people who have had similar experiences to me,’ Lucy said. ‘I’ve worked in children’s social care for around 18 years and that’s where I started noticing patterns of behaviour that I recognised from my own childhood, before I felt confident enough to speak up.
‘It then became my mission to make sure vulnerable children felt heard. I trained as a therapist and there’s one instance that has always stayed with me. I was talking to a young girl who, before she told me anything, just looked me in the eyes and said, ‘I know you know what I want to tell you’.
‘That was a really defining moment in my career. I realised that helping people was what I was meant to do. If I hadn’t had all these experiences, I wouldn’t be where I am today.’
I spoke with Lucy just this morning and told her that her memoir is one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read. It’ll make you laugh, cry and cheer her on, all while feeling like she’s virtually holding your hand.
Three Little Words is available to order from Amazon, Waterstones and through Lucy’s social media from 18 September.
Image: Lucy Clifford
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