No Child of Mine 1997

Ten-year-old Kerry, Brooke Kinsella, endures a turbulent home life as her parents fight and eventually separate. Soon after, her mother Linda, Sharon Small, brings a new partner into the home: Graham, Geoffrey Church, whose presence escalates the abuse. Kerry is subjected to physical and sexual abuse at the hands of Graham, and at times Linda herself participates, forcing her to perform oral sex on their own mother. Kerry’s father, Jim, Billy Geraghty, a construction worker, tries to coerce her into prostitution, a plan she remains unaware of until a few truck drivers “borrow” her.

Kerry’s situation worsens, and she runs away after Jim attacks Linda and Graham for abusing her. One of her class teachers, Paul, Colin Salmon, becomes aware and tries to place her in childcare. The teacher, social workers, and friends push to file charges of sexual and physical abuse against Graham and Linda, but the Crown Prosecution Service later declines to proceed, arguing there is not enough legal evidence. Kerry is placed in foster care, but struggles to settle and repeatedly destroys property, making it impossible for the foster family to keep her.

Kerry is then placed in a care home. She is seduced by a pimp who understands how she feels about living with her abusive mother and stepfather, and for a time she willingly leases herself for profit. A social worker in the childcare home also begins to sexually abuse her. Feeling helpless, she often visits her class teacher and tries to move in with him, but he cannot care for her. He consults a friend and child-support agent to find a safer arrangement, but her case cannot be given higher priority than that of other children.

Towards the end of the film, Kerry runs away again and discovers a small, peaceful care home in a rural location. They decline her money, earned through prostitution. Profoundly traumatized, she does not speak for the first five days there. Twelve days later, as she begins to trust the people in the home, she opens up and shares her horrific abuse history with the woman running the safe house. It is noted that her abusers did not suffer legal consequences and underscores the abysmal conviction rate for child sexual abuse in the UK. Kerry ultimately earns her GCSEs and goes on to study at university.