Until she was 64 years old, Judy King's only clear childhood memory was of her mother lamenting her birth. The rest are a blank space, the truth shut out after years of severe sexual abuse at the hands of her father.

Judy's father first sexually abused her when she was 11 years old. That night, as he became increasingly drunk, he insisted Judy climb into bed with him where he proceeded to touch her inappropriately. At the time, Judy believed all fathers were good, so she must have been bad.

"It happened a second time, when I asked him to come to the local baths to see how well I had learnt t...