Chanel was only five when her life started to unravel. Right before her eyes, her uncle stabbed her father to death in a heated dispute. After that, her mother’s life also spiraled, leaving Chanel alone and neglected. When Chanel was nine, her mother was arrested for drug-related offences and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison. Chanel was left in the care of her aunt, but was abused by her instead.
When it became too much to bear, she left home to stay on her own when she was 13. “I ran away from home to stop all the pain,” she said.
LIFE ON THE EDGE
Chanel lived at the homes of her friends and boyfriends, moving when she outstayed her welcome. It was at a friend’s house that Chanel, then 15, started her dark journey with drugs.
“My friends offered me and I wanted to try. My mum went to prison because of drugs. I’ve also seen her taking drugs a few times before, so I wanted to know what it actually feels like,” she said.
Before long, she was an addict, needing a fix every day.
To support herself and her escalating drug habit, she worked odd jobs. When a friend introduced her to work for a loanshark, she took it up because it was “easy money”. All she had to do was deposit and withdraw money as instructed.
“I thought of just working for just a while until I found a proper job,” she said.
But she did not get the chance to quit. Six months in, one of the loanshark’s runners gave her up and she was arrested.
Chanel was only five when her life started to unravel. Right before her eyes, her uncle stabbed her father to death in a heated dispute. After that, her mother’s life also spiraled, leaving Chanel alone and neglected. When Chanel was nine, her mother was arrested for drug-related offences and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison. Chanel was left in the care of her aunt, but was abused by her instead.
When it became too much to bear, she left home to stay on her own when she was 13. “I ran away from home to stop all the pain,” she said.
LIFE ON THE EDGE
Chanel lived at the homes of her friends and boyfriends, moving when she outstayed her welcome. It was at a friend’s house that Chanel, then 15, started her dark journey with drugs.
“My friends offered me and I wanted to try. My mum went to prison because of drugs. I’ve also seen her taking drugs a few times before, so I wanted to know what it actually feels like,” she said.
Before long, she was an addict, needing a fix every day.
To support herself and her escalating drug habit, she worked odd jobs. When a friend introduced her to work for a loanshark, she took it up because it was “easy money”. All she had to do was deposit and withdraw money as instructed.
“I thought of just working for just a while until I found a proper job,” she said.
But she did not get the chance to quit. Six months in, one of the loanshark’s runners gave her up and she was arrested.