Gaddafi's Harem

The shocking true story of a schoolgirl's abduction into Colonel Gaddafi's secret harem of sex slaves.
the shocking true story of a schoolgirl's abduction into Colonel Gaddafi's secret harem of sex slaves. Award-winning French journalist Annick Cojean has given a voice to the horrific and moving story of Soraya, a 15-year-old girl who was summoned to Gaddafi's palatial compound near tripoli in Libya after the dictator 'chose' her on one of his school visits. there she joined dozens of young women who were systematically abused, raped and degraded by Gaddafi. In public, the women were disguised as Gaddafi's security personnel. In private, they were confined to basement apartments, on hand for the depraved and violent impulses of one of the twentieth century's most malevolent dictators. Cojean has interviewed many who were involved in this appalling regime, including those whose complicity helped keep the charade going for so long. A French bestseller, with more than 100,000 sold, GADDAFI'S HAREM is an astonishing portrait of the essence of dictatorship: how power gone unchecked can wreak havoc. Soraya's story is the first of many that are starting to emerge. 'Kidnapping, rape, humiliation. this was the fate of so many women who were held at the mercy of Colonel Gaddafi. In this shocking book, Annick Cojean gives these women a voice ... Gaddafi's Harem will stay with you for a long time ... Cojean describes a terrifying system where young women were forced to satisfy the perverse desires of the "Guide", under threat of terrible reprisals ... An exceptional piece of reporting.' - Elle (France)