Any Girl is a ferociously honest, intensely tender and utterly unforgettable book that is as thought-provoking as it is timely. It is written by our guest today Mia Döring. Mia was exploited by an older man while in her teens. She explains to Jarlath how this exploitation carved her path into the sex trade. In her incredibly moving memoir we hear how she eventually left the trade and what life was like while within it. As you can imagine, this episode covers some adult themes of abuse, sex and trauma. Mia and Jarlath discuss a wide range of topics including the startling statistic that 1 in 15 Irish men pay for sexual access. Mia Döring asks, “Why are we not talking about the men? Why are they not talking? We do not hear from them. They don’t ‘come out’. They don’t create associations or campaigns for punter’s rights. If punting is the legitimate and harmless hobby they claim it to be, why not?” If punting is the legitimate and harmless hobby they claim it to be, why not?” Any Girl: A Memoir of Sexual Exploitation and Recovery’ by Mia Döring is published by Hachette Ireland (€14.99) If you have been affected by the issues raised in this podcast, contact the Rape Crisis Centre’s 24-hour Helpline at 1800 77 8888 or the local rape crisis services in your area. To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 600 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad

Supplementary research provided by John Meagher.

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