Brave heart: Merlyn Nuttall, who was yesterday named the winner of the 1998 Cosmopolitan/House of Fraser Achievement Awards. It is being serialised in a national newspaper, and has been described as "a story of the triumph of the human spirit". MLA style: "A woman of Courage; Six years ago Merlyn Nuttall was brutally attacked and left for dead but her indomitable spirit pulled her through. But anyone who has forgotten the headlines in February 1992 - along the lines of "Sex fiend slashes girl's throat" - can check the hideous details in the book.

Her story aims to help other victims - whether women or men - navigate the complex, sometimes indifferent, system and to provide vital information for others who care for victims.

Ms Nuttall was chosen for her courage in overcoming a horrific attack six years ago - when was she raped, strangled, set alight and left for dead in a derelict house in south London - and for her contribution to Victim Support, the organisation which nominated her. A poor condition book can still make a good reading copy but is generally not collectible unless the item is very scarce. The 110-page report, which is the first to look at how rape allegations are dealt with from one end of the criminal justice system to the other, outlines 21 main recommendations which it is hoped will improve the current situation. In February 1992, Merlyn Nuttall was hurrying to work early one morning, heading for Brixton tube station as usual. As the title of the book implies, Merlyn refuses, absolutely rightly, to accept any shame or blame for the savagery which she suffered.

The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter.Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. Merlyn says that although she knows the system needs changing, she was disappointed at the findings of the report.

But as far as I was concerned there was suddenly this blank space, where people were saying `you can get on with your life'. Here she tells her story with the aim of helping other victims, men and women - navigate the complex, sometimes indifferent, system as well as to provide vital information for those who care for victims. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times.She survived the horrific rape and attempted murder but her fight for recovery and to gain compensation brought her against some surprising areas of resistance—including the refusal of the NHS to pay for plastic surgery on her neck scars.

But while she is irrevocably defined by her own experiences, she is determined not to make the assault a career.It seems clear from reading the book that Merlyn survived the attack rather better than some friends and relatives, partly because of her euphoria at simply being alive.