Please Protect Us

From number-one best-selling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of shame, silence, abuse and survival.

'I have a very clear picture of the day Clive entered our lives. I can see him now as he walked into our living room: a tall man with a loud commanding voice, a wide smile and an armful of presents. It is a memory that still lives deep inside my head.'

Ryan and Phil had always been inseparable. Twins born 35 minutes apart, Ryan was the protective one, constantly looking out for his younger brother. They can't remember how old they were when the abuse started, but they can remember their uncle very clearly.

A frequent visitor to their home in Lincoln, he lavished their family with expensive treats. School holidays and weekends were spent visiting him, when he would often take the two little boys aside to play the games he liked.

Trapped with him, day after day, year after year, the abuse continued until Ryan and Phil turned 16. After a showdown with Ryan when he was finally big enough, their uncle never approached them again.

Nearly 20 years after the abuse ended, Ryan and his wife decided to foster troubled children, making their home a safe place filled with love for those in desperate need of it. Ryan and Phil suffered for years at the hands of their uncle, but throughout it all their bond held them together.