ABSTRACT
Mary Kate’s grandfather had been sexually abusing her severely for five years (when she was aged between three and eight). Her mother realized what was happening one evening when they had gone to visit Mary Kate’s grandmother. Mary Kate remained in the lounge room with her grandfather while her mother went into the bedroom. A strange look on the face of the dog alerted the mother when she returned to the lounge room. She confronted her father. (He had abused her as a child, and later it became clear he had also abused other family members.) In the events that followed, the extended family put Mary Kate’s family into virtual ‘Coventry’. Her previous therapist Sandra had helped her with the earliest post-disclosure period, but she was no longer working at the agency.
