Claire Thompson, Lead Campaigner, CAAGe

When Claire met an apparently charming, successful, attentive man, she was quickly convinced that she had met her soul mate.

She was later to discover that he was a psychopathic groomer, whose only thrill had been to get her to act out of character. That discovery was to cost her dearly, but in the process she met some of the strong, beautiful, intelligent women that he had similarly duped. CAAGe (the Campaign Against Adult Grooming) was born. It wasn't always called CAAGe. Mistakes were made with early iterations. She upset her groomer, who quickly declared himself the victim (see DARVO!), and armed with a healthy purse, a wife who seemed to support him, and an unpleasant, inhumane solicitor had some success. This gave Claire her first insight into what many many people who suffer at the hands of abusers already know - that mysogeny is rife; that the law and justice are different things; that sometimes the people who are supposed to help us make things worse; and that we need massive change.

The experience has introduced her to some "bloody stubborn, bloody difficult women" who she strongly identifies with, and whose determined energy and example she calls on daily whilst navigating the complexities of domestic abuse, gender issues, narcissists, psychopaths, and complex legalities.

She is our Lead Campaigner (UK) and manages our helpline, determined to offer whatever help we can muster, and has appeared several times on the BBC series, For Love or Money.

Articles include many on the CAAGe blog, a response to Rishi Sunak’s announcement regarding grooming gangs, Love Bombing, and more.

You can contact Claire via CAAGe: Contact