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The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama by Julie Szego
JUDGES' COMMENTS
This is the story of the wrongful conviction of a young Somali man for the rape of a woman he never met, in a Melbourne suburb he never visited. Through its exploration of the intricacies of a legal case gone wrong, the book explores the deeper questions of multiculturalism, the role of gender in society as a whole and the cultural prejudices and perceptions that inform and affect the experience of a new migrant.
The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama is a thoughtful, evocative and penetrating account of a case marred by false assumptions and an unswerving faith in DNA evidence that ultimately proves misplaced. The narrative is clear and engaging and Szego’s voice is assured as she considers and questions her position as an outsider both to the trial and appeal proceedings and to the Somali community of which Farah Jama is a part. By mapping out some of the crucial complexities that occur within the immigration experience and finding their intersection with broader social issues,The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama presents both a compelling portrait of contemporary Australian society and a powerful argument for the value of multiculturalism.