The sexual abuse of children is a abhorrent crime. It has an impact that lasts far beyond the criminal act, and often can have a generational impact. As one of my friends who worked in the Special Victims Division once told me, most of the people he arrested for sexual abuse of a child was once a victim of sexual abuse themselves. Studies reinforce that, showing that people who were sexually abused as children are far more likely to abuse children themselves than the rest of the population. That does not give those perps an excuse, but it does show how seriously those crimes should be taken.
Unfortunately, the criminal justice system does not do a great job handling these crimes, despite the best efforts of cops like my friend. Many of these perps are a menace who are given sentences that neither rehabilitate nor reform them. Whenever I hear of a judge giving a light sentence to one of these convicted criminals, it makes me wonder what they are doing when no one is watching.
Lorenzo Carcaterra wrote his book about child sex abuse, Sleepers, in 1995. Most people remember the movie, starring Brad Pitt and Jason Patric, but the book is great, and it’s our recommendation for this installment of Weekend Buff.
I read Sleepers shortly after Paul and I were assigned to the Midtown North Precinct out of the Academy. Midtown North covered much of Hells Kitchen, where most of the story takes place. The book highlights the neighborhood and was an interesting read on that front, but the abuse that it detailed was much more moving and eye-opening for a rookie cop.
Sleepers relates the tale of four friends growing up in the 1960’s on the west side of Manhattan. They are inseparable, and it seems to them like the fun and games will last forever. The boys, Shakes, Michael, John, and Tommy, engage in the typical mischievous behaviors of teenage boys. Not criminals, but frequently in trouble.
One event changes their lives forever. The group, looking to get a free lunch and create some excitement, take a hot dog cart from a street vendor. They are not looking to keep it, just have some fun and fill their bellies. During the chaos that ensues, the cart rolls down a subway entrance, striking and nearly killing a man.
That’s where the book changes from a feel-good, coming of age story to something much darker.
The boys are sentenced to a term upstate to the Wilkinson Home for Boys, a seemingly-bucolic juvenile detention facility. But what goes on inside the “home” is terrifying. The boys suffer horrific physical and sexual abuse at the hands of several of the guards. Carcaterra details the torture that the boys endured.
The book then flashes to the present. The boys are adults and have grown apart, taking different paths in life, but seriously affected by their time in Wilkinson. Tommy and John live a life of crime and addiction. Shakes is a journalist. Michael is a Manhattan Assistant District Attorney.
When Tommy and John see one of their former tormentors, they immediately and unthinkingly take revenge, killing the man in front of numerous witnesses.
Michael finds himself in a position to help them, but it means violating his oath as an attorney.
The book is told as a retrospective in the first person. This gives it an impact that pulls at the reader’s emotions. Carcaterra, spins a masterful story, describing in detail their childhood, their neighborhood, and later the terrible abuse and the toll it took on them.
Carcaterra describes the book as loosely autobiographical. It is likely more of an, “inspired by a true story” novel. The Manhattan DA put out a statement shortly after its release denying the role his office played in the story, calling it false.
Wherever the truth lies, Carcaterra’s writing talent makes the story feel authentic. He does a fantastic job relating the dark details, and it certainly reads like an autobiography.
There is a long line of books advertised as being “better than the movie”. That description is certainly true with Sleepers. The characters are given more depth. The crimes hit home. The emotions seem real. It is a book well worth reading, even if the movie holds mostly true to the book.
Sleepers runs a little more than 400 pages depending on what version you get. You can look for it in your local library, or buy it on Amazon for less than $10. It is an engaging and easy read that you can get through in a few days. This weekend check out this well-written coming of age-turned nightmare story, where the terrible impact of child abuse confronts the reader at every turn of the page.
Thanks for reading The Ops Desk. Stay Safe!