'My girlfriend was raped'

Last year, 14 incidents of rape were reported to the police and, of those, eight of the victims were 18 and under.

Moving into 2005, five rapes have been reported until October, with one victim being a minor. But, in reality, the list of total victims across the two years does not add up to a mere 19, Pink finds.

Apart from the fact that some rapes may go by unreported, each of the reported incidents had repercussions on those close to the physically assaulted - they too are victims, left to struggle with a whirlwind of emotions, questions and doubts.

In its December issue, Pink presents an exclusive first-hand interview with a boy whose young foreign girlfriend was raped by three of his friends in Paceville three years ago. But the end of the court case, which saw the gang members being jailed, did not mark the end of the saga.

And it was not only the girl who suffered the repercussions of the attack. Her boyfriend is still coming to terms with it, as well as his own mother, who tells Pink about her family problems resulting from the tragic ordeal.

Readers' feedback to Pink's articles has shown that they are hungry for good stories... so much so that the ripple effects are often vast. This was the case in, for example, last month's issue, which carried an interview with a single mother, who spoke of her temptation to drop off her seven-week-old daughter at a crèche. Her statement saw many young couples come forward with the offer to adopt - an issue that has been tackled in the 14th edition of Pink.

The InFocus section offers a gripping account of a young couple's ordeal to adopt baby Samara from Ethiopia. Her long journey 'home' was peppered with problems and Samara has been found to be suffering from a heart condition. But now that her new and devoted parents have finally got her home, they intend to do everything to give her a good life. Although problems are still looming on the horizon, having three stockings hanging in their house this Christmas is the best present ever!

No, Pink has not forgotten that it is the season to be jolly - and the party spirit, which is part and parcel of it, is sprinkled everywhere in the magazine, starting from its front cover, photographed by Alexandra Pace, to the make-up, fashion, accessory, interiors and food pages.

The magazine, which is distributed with The Times tomorrow, has also thought of the men out there, who can tend to lack imagination in the present department. In its light-hearted vox pop, Pink offers some ideas of what women really want!

Then, of course, there is advice on what angle to take when deciding on New Year's resolutions - an angle that digs deeper within - while Pink's shrink offers tips on how to put the "happy" back into Christmas.

Published by Allied Newspapers Ltd and produced by MediaMaker, Pink is a monthly magazine whose executive editors are The Times journalists Fiona Galea Debono and Ariadne Massa.