The psychological make-up of a paedophile makes him hard to spot, says laura tennant |
|
As the days since Madeleine McCann's disappearance go by, it is hard to think of many instances in which children abducted for sexual purposes have been found alive. We have been quick to criticise the Portuguese police in charge of the investigation, but the fact is in Britain cases of abduction or - more common - sexual abuse by friends and family are often never solved.
The problem is, far from being the proverbial dirty old man, sexually abusive people such as Soham murderer Ian Huntley (right) can be high-functioning, plausible and charismatic - they must be, to attain their ends.
In her book Predators: paedophiles, rapists and other sex offenders, Dr Anna Salter argues "sexual predators use sophisticated deception techniques and rely on misconceptions surrounding them to evade discovery". Even the most knowledgeable among us can be fooled, says Salter, |
|
 |
 |
 |
| Sexually abusive people such as Huntley can be high-functioning, plausible and charismatic - they must be, to attain their ends |
|
|
particularly if we are expecting the inadequate timid misfit of paedophile legend.
Adept manipulators, sex offenders use charm as well as bullying tactics to secure power over their victims. But these techniques are also deployed habitually and in general, shaping the perceptions of outsiders.
The difficulty is compounded by the background of people drawn to the 'caring professions'. A friend running a support group for women who suspect their partners of abuse tells me social workers have often themselves experienced abuse as children. It's admirable to want to prevent others suffering in the same way; but sadly their personal history makes these people uniquely vulnerable to the manipulation of the abuser.
Even the police face an extraordinary challenge when they interview men whose trick is to manipulate those around them. And to the despair of many women, the courts, almost despite themselves, favour the testimony of such men - often 'well-respected members of the community' - over that of a mother, or the hesitant evidence of a child. 
FIRST POSTED MAY 21, 2007
|
