Ultimate Judgment: A Case of Emotional Corruption, Betrayal and Abuse
In 1996, a Tampa jury made an unprecedented award to Clairmonte of $3 million in damages from her late wealthy stepfather Donald Sahlman's estate, because of the sexual abuse she had suffered at his hands when she was between the ages of four and 25. The jury also found that her mother (Sahlman's wife and heir) had conspired in the abuse. Coauthor Mackey, a journalist, competently narrates, in Clairmonte's voice, her stepfather's frightening and continuous sexual advances toward Clairmonte, who offers many appalling descriptions of sex play, including masturbation and oral contact that were forced on her. As she grew older, her mother, who insists that nothing untoward happened, and her stepfather examined her vaginally after every date to make sure she was still a virgin. Both supervised her bathing and constantly told her that her body had a bad odor. Even after she left home and married, Clairmonte remained an emotional prisoner to Sahlman's demands. Clairmonte's brother, Nick, who has had severe substance abuse problems, also alleged sexual abuse, but later retracted his accusation. The author believes that her mother allowed the abuse in exchange for financial security. This is a disturbing and compelling story; readers who have themselves suffered from sexual abuse will take comfort knowing that justice can be done. (Feb.)Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.