Tuesday, November 01, 2005

scary shit

So like I went into Exclusive Books the other day, as I always do when I'm bored, and bought a couple of books.
One book caught my interest, because it was a true story, was based in Belgium (which I travelled from top to bottom in April), and was about this girl who was abducted by a paedophile and lived to tell the tale.

Gory shit really, but not alot of detail when it came down to the nasties this dude subjected her to. She was kidnapped for 80 long days and was forced to live in a hole during that time. It was incredibly horrible to read. But now apparently the trial for this monster only happened some two or three years ago, so it's still pretty fresh, and caused an outcry with the Belgians and the rest of the world. I've never heard of this person before.

I shiver. I would phone my mum in Belgium (ok fair enough, I was 24, not a child), but would boast how safe and peaceful this little country was. One day I even went hiking in the Ardennes forest all by myself, and relished in the quietness of it all. I told my mum and she freaked. But she IS the paramoid type afterall.

Still. Apparently four notorious child rapers have been caught in Belgium alone. That's alot for a country the size of Delaware.

9 comments:

Arabian Butterfly said...

if ur interested in books based on true stories, u have to get this : princess of arabia. enjoy

Peas on Toast said...

Perhaps I shall. I'm addicted to non-fictional accounts at the moment. Especially where people are concerned.
I'm nosy like that.

Peas on Toast said...

Janie - You're right, nowhere is safe. I just get surprised when I hear stuff like that because South Africa - and Joburg especially - is always on the front news for crimes like hi-jackings, rape and robbery - it's almost blase here now. But they're once off cases, because poverty is an issue here, and it's uslaly poverty-driven. Things like serial paedophiles and the like isn't something we deal with a lot here, luckily. And it's pretty freaky.

zuzula said...

I read an amazing interview with that girl in the papers when her book came out... she must have the most incredible strength of character to have got on with her life after an ordeal like that. I just couldn't bring myself to read the book though. I'm really ashamed of myself but I just can't bear to.

Have you read Burned Alive by Souad? It's an amazing true story about a woman who grew up in Palestine survived an honour killing.

Peas on Toast said...

Z - I'm not sure I could read a survival of an honour killing, I must say. I think I should take a breather from all these horros I've been absorbing into my brain! But so right - I'd have been one fucked up chicken if I'd gone through what this girl did. She's incredible. She didn't expand on what she had to do for him, thank goodness, I don't think I was ready to read that...

zuzula said...

Hmm - it is quite hardcore! But there is kind of a positive ending... she lived to tell the tale and now works as a spokesperson for mistreated women.

That said, I think you should take a break from it all... dig out Bridget Jones for a bit of light relief! Or read The Time Traveller's Wife - the best book I've read all year.

November Rain said...

I think I heard peas says trick or treat

Nettie said...

Suppose ignorance was bliss...

Peas on Toast said...

Trick or treat! :)