From the court appearances of accused TV stars to historic scandals
involving priests, music teachers and care workers, to the killing of
young girls, Britain’s news pages, websites and TV bulletins are
awash with cases of the sexual abuse of children. This week the
shocking details of the depravity of a group of men in Oxford were
revealed during a court case which saw a gang of eight convicted of
the rape and torture of six girls over more than a decade. The
conclusion to be drawn is that in Britain sexual exploitation and
predation is endemic; that it goes back decades and continues into
the present. Many perpetrators have been allowed to continue their
crimes unchallenged.
The Catholic Church was one of the first institutions in this country
to stand accused of negligence in its dealing with the child victims
of abuse and the handling of their abusers. Some critics of the
Church blamed its tradition of a celibate priesthood, claiming that
sexual frustration was the primary cause. But the scandals now coming
to light show that celibacy is not a common denominator. Paedophilia
is about power, about people in positions of authority, or who are
famous, or are even ordinary but have gained power through long-term
grooming of children, who target the vulnerable and defenceless.
The Tablet, editorial, 18.05.2013
