John Devane

Born 1962 and raised in Limerick , the youngest of seven children, John Devane provides a true account of his shocking childhood and subsequent struggle to overcome its effects. His father died while John was still in his infancy, subsequently family life began to fall apart, and John being the youngest seemed almost neglected. John tells of those years growing up, the increasing deprivations, and how at the age of eight he was lulled away from his playmates and abused by a man in his early twenties. This was just the start of increasingly worse abuse that went on for four years by this man and others he introduced him to. 'Respite' eventually coming in the form of two young lodgers who moved into the family home. But this respite merely took the form of protection as these two men became his pimps and sold the twelve year old John's services along the docks in Limerick.

We know from the start that John was eventually able to overcome this tragic start to his life, and make a career as a criminal lawyer, helping others who like him through unfortunate circumstances had fallen foul of the law. But this knowledge in now way lessens the horror of what he had to endure as his childhood was stolen away. Many of his ordeals are described in harrowing detail; his abusers include representatives of the church, the law, and wealthy, influential and respected members of the community. His pleas for help fell on deaf ears. During this time he became a heavy smoker, was introduced to drugs and was drinking heavily, the latter inevitably leading to his alcoholism. Yet from all this John made something of his life.

Nobody Heard Me Cry makes disturbing reading, there is no glamour in the telling, but just the sordid cold facts, and ones heart goes out to this child whose obvious natural appeal was corrupted by others intent purely on their own pleasure. John Devane's account does inevitably focus on this aspect of his life and its effects on his upbringing: the need to be loved, his disruptive behaviour at school, lack of respect for authority; other parts of his life are related in scant detail. This I found disappointing. With just a few exceptions we learn little about most of the other people who touched his life, the genuine friends. Nor do learn a great deal about his life post his traumatic childhood, other than he did this or that; yes there are few obviously relevant events, but no details about other aspects of his life, the little details that might have let us see the real person beyond the victim. We can only guess that John is despite all a very personable man, that some went out of their way to help and support him, that he finally made a meaningful life with a happy family however tells us so.

Competently written, perhaps a little dispassionate at times in the telling, John Devane's, is an indictment of less informed times, of the hypocrisy that pervaded the very channels that should have been his protection.… (altro)