About Sammy
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Sammy Woodhouse is a best-selling author, international speaker, TV presenter, News reporter and multi award winning activist .
She is now rebuilding her life after surviving criminal and sexual exploitation beginning in 1999 at the age of 14, at just 15 Sammy became pregnant with her son. After years of mental ill-health, In July 2013, Sammy contacted Andrew Norfolk at The Times newspaper and handed over evidence that she was abused and failed by authorities.
In August 2013, her story was published naming Hussain and the deputy leader of Rotherham Council. Sammy was given the pseudonym Jessica. The article triggered the Alexis Jay report, which exposed 1,400 children had been abused and failed in Rotherham.
A police investigation – Operation Clover & Operation Stovewood – was also launched into Sammy’s abuse and into all non-recent child abuse cases in South Yorkshire. It is the biggest investigation in the UK now led by the National Crime Agency.
Hussain was found guilty on all counts against Sammy and jailed in February 2016 for 35 years for offences against her and others, which included rape, abduction and indecent assault.
Sammy’s book ‘Just A Child’ tells the story of how she was abused by Hussain and failed by authorities that were meant to be protecting her, which was released in April 2018 and has gone on to be a Sunday Times bestseller.
Sammy has gone onto be one of the country’s leading activists against exploitation and children born from sexual violence. She has fought for better rights for exploited children as well as mothers and children born from sexual violence. Her work includes the multi award-winning ‘Sammy’s law’ campaign which will pardon convicted abuse survivors and ensure exploited children will not be criminalised.
In 2018 Sammy started her fight for better legal rights for mothers and children born from sexual violence. Sammy called for the amendment of the
Children Act 1989 to ban any male with a child conceived by sexual violence from applying for access/rights. Sammy later campaigned alongside others to ensure children born from sexual violence will be seen as victims within law which was successful and announced in 2023. She has also campaigned around licensing which went on to win multiple awards.
In April 2023 Sammy presented the ground breaking BBC documentary ‘Out of the Shadows: Born from rape’. Sammy travelled around the UK and to Rwanda to meet mothers and children born from rape, and uncovers heart-breaking stories of love and pain.
For over a decade Sammy has been invited to speak to police forces, councils, care homes, NHS, schools, MoJ, Home Office and companies who want to learn more on how grooming and exploitation of children can be prevented and supported.
Sammy’s focus is on her reporting with Tousi TV and Rebel News, and to continue to raise awareness and expose corruption. The passion and changes to the country Sammy has made are never short of inspiring.
