Karen Chisholm
REVIEW
Walking Towards Thunder, Peter Fox
Reviewed By
Monday, September 23, 2019
I can't pretend, even for a moment, that I'm able to dispassionately review a book like WALKING TOWARDS THUNDER. This is a very personal story about Peter Fox's ethical and moral stance against an institution lacking in both of those traits. Actively avoiding those traits, if the revelations in this book are anything to go by.
Reading this book you will see the power and might of the church and it's accolytes. The "mafia" it unleashes against those who see the corruption, the scandal, the abuse and the crimes and want to do something about it, is breathtaking both in it's commitment to the "cause" and it's bloody mindedness. You really have to stop and think long and hard about the sort of world we live in - one where an institution can be so cavalierly above the people who support it, and the lives and wellbeing of the children that are thrust into that world (by the adults around them after all) are less important, less valued ... just less overall .... than the power, and the money and the might of that church.
I am profoundly thankful that people like Peter Fox have tried to halt the tide of the catholic sex abuse crimes, especially when you realise the personal toll they have been forced to endure. I'm profoundly thankful that he decided to write this book, and I'm thankful that people like Anthony and Chrissie Foster took it upon themselves to support and encourage him to do so. Chrissie Foster's book HELL ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN is now on my reading queue as well.
BOOK DETAILS
BOOK INFORMATION
BLURB
Former Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox is a hero in many people's eyes. A police officer with 36 years' service in the Hunter region, he rose to national prominence in 2012 for his major role in speaking out for the victims of abuse within the church. He had been at the coalface fighting these heinous crimes for decades. He had worked with the victims and supported their families. He knew an enquiry was long overdue. His decision to become a whistle blower helped trigger Prime Minister Julia Gillard's historic decision to establish a far-reaching Royal Commission into the sexual abuse of children in institutions.
He had no idea what speaking up would unleash. Peter's dedication and focus cost him his career, his health and also affected his wife's health. He and his family were threatened. Former friends shunned him. But the victims and the families that he supported consider him their champion. To them he is a hero.
Walking Towards Thunder details the cumulative horrors our police face every day, it reveals the cover ups and the way sexual predators were moved around. It shows the backlash he faced and the lengths those in power will go to avoid facing the truth. Confronting and inspiring, this is an unforgettable story.
| Review | Walking Towards Thunder, Peter Fox | Karen Chisholm
|
Monday, September 23, 2019 |
Add new comment
Recommended
Yes