A northern town ... a corrupt police force ... a childcare bureaucracy capable of inflicting misery and despair on its clients. This is the backdrop of a journey made by Shauna, a young mother battered for years by her husband Greg. She can take no more and leaves. Her children are taken into care and placed with Alex, a foster mother. Unexpectedly, this is a turning point for Shauna. Alex recognises what Shauna is up against and mentors her through the tortuous process of trying to get her children back. But Greg threatens to kill the children and himself if Shauna succeeds. Shauna and Alex take the threat seriously and look to the authorities for help. They then stumble onto corruption in high places and systematic child sexual abuse. They befriend Millie, one of the victims. Millie reveals there are thousands more children ensnared in the abuse. Alex and Shauna attempt to expose it. But they face an equally dangerous challenge in preventing Greg from carrying out his threat, particularly when he learns about the relationship between them.
