The Asylum

By: Ann Cusack - contributor, Carol Minto, Joe Cusack - contributor

Narrated by: Fiona McNeill

For 46 years, Carol Minto has quietly gone about her life, carrying with her the most extraordinary and heartbreaking secrets.

Born into poverty and with mostly absent parents, Carol helped to raise her nine siblings. But when she was just 11 years old, her older brother began to sexually abuse her. After four years, Carol managed to escape - and ran away from home.

Picked up by social services, they place her at Aston Hall in Derby, a psychiatric hospital now infamous for the ghoulish ‘truth serum’ experiments it carried out on children. Over three years, Carol was stripped, sedated, assaulted and raped by Kenneth Milner, the doctor in charge.

Eventually she is released back into the community, aged 18, and has a daughter. But the baby is taken away for adoption, and Carol’s trauma intensifies. In 2010, Carol finally plucked up the courage to speak out about the abuse she suffered - and received justice, at last.

In The Asylum, Carol tells the full story of how she overcame unimaginable suffering, to find the happiness and solace she has today as a mother and grandmother.

©2021 Ann Cusack (P)2021 W F Howes

excellent clear and very descriptive

i love that although she never forgot her love, she found a companion again and she never gave up she maintained a positive attitud

Insane story!

I can’t believe all the horrors this women endured, I’m so happy she is doing good today. What an amazing book

The many uninterested, uncaring people that should have protected her.

the story in all was captivating and visually written. I cried and rolled my eyes many times in anger for what she endured.

Very strong true story of extreme abuse, resilience and survival.

Natural narration, sharing true feelings in a candid way. Leaves you thinking g how can there be so much evil in this world.

Heartbreaking

An amazing strength of Carol. Hard to understand why her mother was so cruel and didn't like her.