Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui's Annasophia Calman writing book on state care experiences

Sue Dudman
By Sue Dudman
News director - Whanganui Chronicle·Whanganui Chronicle·
17 Sep, 2018 07:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Annasophia Calman is currently editing her book, pictured with a draft cover, to be called My Life Annasophia.

Annasophia Calman is currently editing her book, pictured with a draft cover, to be called My Life Annasophia.

A Whanganui woman hopes sharing her story of harrowing years in state care will help other people who have experienced abuse know they are not alone.

Annasophia Calman was taken in to care in the 1960s when she was 12. Her mother had escaped domestic violence and left Calman and her siblings with their father. After multiple reports of neglect and physical abuse, the children became wards of the state.

Calman says years of physical, sexual and mental abuse followed as she was moved around the country to various homes, leaving state care at the age of 21.

"It was the people who looked after us who failed to do their job," Calman said.

"The Department of Social Welfare put us in the care of people they thought we could trust. I'm not blaming CYFS. They were at fault but it's really the fault of the people who took children in for money."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Calman married and found herself in another abusive relationship. She eventually left that relationship and is now happily remarried.

"I went through a lot of heartache and pain," Calman said.

"I was holding on to memories and having nightmares. My husband made me go to counselling. Without his help, I wouldn't have done it."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

As a way of getting out of the darkness, Calman, with the support of her husband and a counsellor, is writing a book My Life Annasophia about her experiences in care.

"It's taken me three years to write and I can't go back and read some of it. The book tells people what they can do to get help and lets them know they are not alone."

Calman is working on the final editing of the book. She plans to publish 100 copies and have them on sale around Whanganui. Copies would also be given to those working on historic abuse claims "so they can understand what we went through".

Discover more

Terry Sarten: Corporate care is not the way for vulnerable kids

18 Dec 01:00 AM

Maori Party candidate backs call for state care abuse inquiry

17 Aug 10:25 PM

No one admits backing a loser

07 Jan 09:10 PM

Chester Borrows: Class of '78 a lesson to us all

06 Jul 12:00 AM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Community group seeks to manage historic reserve

10 Jul 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Chaos as Ruapehu council rejects officials' advice on water

10 Jul 03:15 AM
Whanganui Chronicle

Strong winds bring weather warning and watches

10 Jul 03:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Community group seeks to manage historic reserve

Community group seeks to manage historic reserve

10 Jul 06:00 PM

'We’ve got youth, people in their 20s and 30s, and we see longevity.'

Chaos as Ruapehu council rejects officials' advice on water

Chaos as Ruapehu council rejects officials' advice on water

10 Jul 03:15 AM
Strong winds bring weather warning and watches

Strong winds bring weather warning and watches

10 Jul 03:00 AM
'Values-led' construction company takes top prize at Māori Business Awards

'Values-led' construction company takes top prize at Māori Business Awards

10 Jul 01:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP