Behind four walls
Pink magazine is experiencing a similar reaction to the ripple effect of author Dave Pelzer's horrifying account of abuse in A Child Called It, which served as a balm to those who had endured similar abuse and who began to speak out and publish their...
Pink magazine is experiencing a similar reaction to the ripple effect of author Dave Pelzer's horrifying account of abuse in A Child Called It, which served as a balm to those who had endured similar abuse and who began to speak out and publish their own ordeals. Today, the shelves of bookstores are heaving with chronicles of child abuse.
In the case of Pink, which is distributed with The Times tomorrow, a young woman's courage to share her account of sexual abuse at the hands of her grandfather when she was 11 in last month's issue has heartened others, who have withstood similar maltreatment, to come forward with their own stories.
It is clear that many people are suffering behind the four walls of their homes, their screams for help silenced by taboos and helplessness, the magazine finds.
In fact, tomorrow's issue is featuring a few of the letters that were received - one of them in the form of a story because it is so powerful - in the hope of further sensitising society to these ills, and letting victims know they are not alone in the battle to survive their traumatic past.
Still on a dramatic note, sedqa, the National Agency for Drug and Alcohol Abuse, is currently working on an alcohol campaign, aimed at 16 to 30-year-olds, who party and exceed the alcohol limit. Pink has, therefore, spoken to three women who have battled with the bottle... and won! Having hit rock bottom, they turned to Zerniq in Luqa to try out its programmes.
And on a lighter note, this summer, Malta hosted an incredible number of concerts and events that made it possible to see some of the world's top stars up close and personal - from Enrique Iglesias to Bryan Adams, Robert Plant and Zucchero.
In tomorrow's issue, the 34th edition, Pink explores the newly coined psychological condition, celebrity-worship syndrome; then it goes out onto the streets to discover which celebrity people want to meet; and features a fun quiz on the perfect celebrity hook-up.
Pink is co-edited by The Times journalists Fiona Galea Debono and Ariadne Massa. Published by Allied Newspapers Ltd, it is a MediaMaker production, designed by Helen Cassar Torreggiani and Joseph Schembri.