Scars a testimony to Karen’s struggles in care

THE scars along Karen Conlon’s arm are a testimony to the struggles she has endured in her years in the care system.

Now a cheerful 19-year-old studying nursing in the North, Karen admits that her self-harming began at 12 and finished only recently.

One of the speakers at yesterday’s launch of the Listen To Our Voices report, Karen recalled how she was once left behind by her foster family as they went on a holiday with their “real” children, and how she was once described as “unfosterable”.