Paedophile Victim Signs Six-Figure Book Deal

One of the victims of a Scottish paedophile ring has landed a major book deal to tell the story behind the decade of abuse she suffered.

Dana Fowley has signed a six-figure contract with the publishing giant Random House after her mother and two men were jailed for their part in the rape of her and her younger sister.

The 26-year-old, from Edinburgh, is co-writing the book with author Jean Ritchie, who also wrote an acclaimed biography of the Moors murderer, Myra Hindley.

The deal was concluded following a bidding war between rival publishers keen to bring her story to the printed page.

The book, which is due to be published next July, is titled How Could She? and details how Ms Fowley’s mother, Caroline Dunsmore, abused her daughters and allowed them to be raped and molested by a group of up to 15 men.

Ms Ritchie taped months of interviews with the victim in her Edinburgh flat. Ms Fowley was also encouraged to put her own account of her ordeal down on paper.

The book will only cover the abuse she suffered at the hands of Dunsmore, deceased members of her family and the two men who were sentenced for their part in the paedophile ring earlier this year.

Random House – which has published blockbuster novels including The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown – is understood to be keen on producing a second book once the trials of other suspects are completed.

Ms Ritchie wrote the 1988 book, Myra Hindley: Inside The Mind of A Murderess.

Hindley and her partner Ian Brady were responsible for the torture and murder of five children in the 1960s.

Ms Fowley’s partner, Paul Kernachan, 40, said: “Jean Ritchie wrote a book on Myra Hindley and that was why Dana agreed that she should write the book. She told us that, in her mind, Caroline’s Dunsmore’s crimes were on the same kind of level.

“Even though she’s very experienced, I think she was shocked to hear the catalogue of abuse Dana suffered and how it was her own mum that let it happen.

“We’ll be glad when the book is published because it will give people some understanding of the scale of abuse that Dana had to keep to herself all these years. It will also highlight the problem of paedophiles in society.”

He added: “Dana said she found the experience of writing down what happened to her very difficult because it was like reliving everything that happened to her.

“But she has done an amazing job despite that, even remembering furniture that was in a certain room, or what people were wearing.

“She’s very brave to be doing it. She thinks it could help other abuse victims. She wanted to tell the truth.”

Ms Fowley plans to use part of the income from the book to set up her own support centre in the west of the capital to help other victims of abuse.

A spokesman for Random House said next summer’s hardback edition would be followed by a paperback in January 2009.

Dunsmore is serving 12 years at Cornton Vale prison near Stirling for her role in the crimes, while Morris Petch, 50, received a life sentence and John O’Flaherty, 50, was handed a 13-year term.

Three more men, a 42-year-old from Leith, a 52-year-old and a 71-year-old, have been charged by police in connection with the abuse Ms Fowley suffered.