The UK is leading the world in many respects when it comes to the issue of confronting and dealing with systemic and cultural sexual abuse. But like any crusade have had their wins and their loses.
The case against Prince Andrew, one with what seems like overwhelming evidence is still being fought in the legal system. You might remember that Prince Andrew was involved with the Jeffery Epstein scandal. Epstein’s Little black book included people such as Bill Clinton, Alec Baldwin, George Soros nephew Peter, Courtney Love…and the list goes on.
They had a big win opening up the celebrity untouchable can of worms with the Jimmy Saville case which took down glam rocker Gary Glitter and case a monumental shake up at the BBC.
The Brits continue to attack the various topics that surround this issue. The latest one has been a very public discussion of the topic of female paedophiles. Many of you who have followed my story, will know that confronting this topic was a big part of my coming to terms with things that where done to me as a child. People just didnt want to have a conversation with a man claiming to be sexually abused, let alone one who was abused my a woman, particularly when one was his mother.
I encourage you to read the complete article by Tom Geoghegan, I will give you some highlights.
In 2005, the NSPCC raised concerns about how disbelief of female paedophiles was hindering detection. Its report said child protection professionals too often met allegations of abuse by females with incredulity, dismissing them as fabrication and allowing women to continue to offend.
It also said that victims suffered a peculiar sense of isolation and stigma because this form of abuse was not so widely recognised.
Eight-hundred victims of female sexual abuse have contacted Michele Elliott, founder of children’s charity Kidscape, since she wrote her controversial book, Female Sexual Abuse of Children, in 1992. Three-quarters of the cases feature women acting alone.
Kidscape reports that women can get away with sexually abusing children under the guise of being a carer and because of the ingrained social prejudice that continues to state that women are simply not capable of sexualizing abusing children, particular their own. Victims, particularly males, are reluctant to admit to being abused because they feel they will be consider odd for not enjoying or welcoming the encounters.
The article concludes by stating:
Experts agree that women commit only a fraction of child sexual abuse but so much is hidden that it’s difficult to be accurate. An influential study in the US in the 1980s suggested 20% of all offences against boys and 5% against girls were by women.
Tremendous reporting and a great deal of food for thought.