Young mum who was abused by her stepfather as a child praises Coronation Street grooming storyline for helping her speak out
Amy Foley, 28, suffered years of abuse as a child by her stepfather in scenes similar to those being played out on Coronation Street
A MUM of two who was sexually abused by her stepdad has opened up about her ordeal and praised Coronation Street's grooming storyline.
Amy Foley, 28, suffered years of abuse as a child by her stepfather Michael Foley and is still dealing with the psychological effects.
Foley was eventually jailed after being handed a ten-year sentence for a string of rape and sex offences and is currently in prison.
But now Amy, from Manchester, has taken the brave decision to speak out about grooming in light of the shocking soap scenes.
They have seen 16-year-old character Bethany Platt, played by Lucy Fallon, being exploited by her much older boyfriend Nathan.
Viewers were left disgusted when Nathan had sex with the much younger girl after plying her with vodka.
In later scenes he then paraded Bethany before his pals at a party.
And after seeing the show, Amy now wants to raise awareness of grooming and has praised Coronation Street for their authentic storyline.
MOST READ IN LIVING
She said: "When I saw it I felt quite numb. I was just so glad they are doing that story so people know what it’s like. It’s real life and it’s happening so it needs to be out there.
“Like a lot of people I didn’t know I was being groomed. It was only when I got older that I realised my stepdad was moulding me into what he wanted me to be.”
Brave Amy, who lived with her stepfather from the age of two, says the grooming started when she was five.
Tickling and playing soon turned into inappropriate touching and Amy was referred to social services after speaking to her grandmother.
As a little girl, she went to live with her grandparents for a few months before returning to the family home.
But Foley’s attentions became sexual, leading to a campaign of abuse that lasted years.
Amy explained: "It just got worse and worse. He would say I couldn’t have packed lunches if I didn’t do anything with him, or I wouldn’t get money for the bus, or I wouldn’t be allowed to go to a friend’s house.
“He wouldn’t force me but I knew the consequences if I didn’t do it. It was manipulating and controlling.
“In the end it was just so much easier to do what he wanted.”
When Foley’s disgusting crimes were finally uncovered, Amy was interviewed by police who told her she had been a victim of grooming.
Foley admitted four counts of rape, four counts of indecent assault and three counts of gross indecency at Manchester Crown Court in July 2014.
Judge Martin Rudland said the HGV driver "groomed" and "brainwashed" Amy and "grossly abused" her trust for his own sexual gratification.
And Amy, who is mum to daughter Esme and son Tyler, says she struggled with a range of emotions after Foley’s conviction.
She explained: “When he was first locked up I felt really guilty, it was a bit like grieving.
“My family couldn’t understand it but I didn’t want any harm to come to him. It just completely threw me. I was crying to my nana saying I wanted to drop the charges - I was heartbroken.
“When someone has been groomed it’s all they know. He was my dad. He was there every birthday, Christmas and parents’ evening.
“I was as close to him as I was my mum. I would go and speak to him first but he was a real Jekyll and Hyde. If something went his way he was the best person ever, if not it was awful.”
Amy has since had counselling and says she is only now coming to terms with what happened to her.
But she says the suffering she endured has coloured everything she does and even affects some aspects of her parenting.
She described a time when she was potty training Tyler and became uncomfortable about touching him.
“I went into nursery crying. And they said there was no problem. I was 24 and I didn’t know what was inappropriate and what was normal,” she said.
“When it came to changing nappies I would always leave that up to Ryan.
“Now that I’m a parent I can’t explain how much it affected me.
“From my point of view the grooming is almost worse than the abuse itself. You can get over the physical stuff but mentally grooming affects everything."
Though most days are a struggle, Amy says she has managed to move on and now feels stronger than ever.
She runs a successful aesthetics business and lives with long-term boyfriend Ryan and their children.
The businesswoman says victims of grooming can move on but insists that there must be more in place to help those affected. She has ambitions to set up something for victims in future.
She said: “I thought I could never move on or escape the way I’m feeling but this is a new chapter.
“I don’t know if I will ever be 100 per cent but I have other things in my life and I know I’m an amazing mum.
“I’m very aware I could have gone down a completely different route.”