Child abuse is a social problem that has come out into the open: statistics show its extent, and both professionals and the public at large are aware of it. It is therefore understandable that the social services have doubled their efforts and increased their vigilance in order to protect children and, if necessary, separate them from their parents. But the issue of privacy must also be considered. Under what circumstances and to what extent should society be permitted to interfere in individuals’ private lives?

Caroline Eliacheff recounts a typical day of psychoanalytical practice as she meets with Marie, Igor, Eve, Clara and Boris, all victims, each in their own manner, of parental or institutional violence. After studying their cases, she concludes with a powerful examination of the role played by children in our society.


“This serious, powerful book shows great integrity. More than a moving account, it is an examination, of unusually great scope, of a vast problem.” L’École des Loisirs

“Thanks to Caroline Eliacheff’s book, abused children come out into the open, protected by their pseudonyms and the great respect she shows them.” Télérama

“Skill and intelligence, science and conscience presented in a readable style enriched with examples from her own experience. Powerfully topical.” L’Hebdo de l’Actualité Sociale

Caroline Eliacheff is a psychoanalyst and child psychiatrist. She is the author of A Corps et à Cris, être Psychanalyste avec les Tout-Petits and, with Ginette Raimbault, of Les Indomptables, Figures de l’Anorexie.