Family of memoir author denouces book as ‘fiction’

The family of a bestselling author whose vivid memoir claims to document a “hell” of sexual abuse inside a Catholic institution for fallen women denounced the book as a work of fiction. At a Press conference, seven of Kathy O’Beirne’s brothers and sisters read out statements rebutting allegations against their father, who was accused in the book of beating and abusing his daughter.

O’Beirne’s bestselling account, Don’t Ever Tell’, of her childhood after being placed in the care of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity is a grim catalogue of sexual abuse, beatings and rape. 
To date it has sold 350,000 copies.

Owen Bowcott