Book Review: "Kidnapped by a Client" By Sharon R. Muse

This is a story stranger than fiction that examines not only prosecutorial mistakes but also the aftermath of a horrific crime.

Attorney Sharon Muse was kidnapped, raped, and nearly murdered by her client Hank Morrison back in 2006 at a time when the #MeToo movement had yet to be formed.

In this brilliantly written work she examines the legal errors, the collection of evidence disasters, the lack of empathy and compassion from all sides against victims of abuse specifically rape.

The blame, the shame, the guilt, the mistreatment in the courts, the questioning of victims as if they themselves are perpetrators including questioning of their own actions is appalling.

I've lived it so I can tell you there's no greater hell than having to go to court especially family court to beg for justice.

I use the word beg because you are treated less than human and more like a number on a docket in a high case loads world in which you're no more than just another victim.

It sounds harsh but in reality you must prove your case beyond a reasonable doubt. You must prove you were abused beyond mere pictures, mere words, mere injuries.

Even with every form of documentation you are the one on trial and the perpetrator is the one smiling off to the side.

In essence you spend the rest of your life living in fear, in isolation, in contempt of a world that showed no remorse only blame.

I have been living this hell since I married in 2002 and it never subsides because even if you win your case what have you won?

Often these cases are no more than slaps on the wrist of the toxic individual. It's a no win once the individual is released and threatens you all over again.

These domestic violence situations are often ignored by police. They are so large in number it's next to impossible to resolve them all and often the women are the ones who are found dead because even with protection from abuse orders which wasn't mentioned here it's often nothing more than a piece of paper that won't stop a bullet or an aggressor.
It's a false sense of safety and many women are left dead.

I'm sorry to tell you this but nothing has changed in the years I've dealt with this and I have no hope anything will change in the near future as it's a big boy network run by the most arrogant and obnoxious individuals in the highest offices in the land.

All you can do is hope and pray you are not on the receiving end of such horror.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.