S Lampkin

I once argued with a priest of the Church of England that we can’t teach children to trust adults and instead we should ensure that they protect themselves. Years later, the husband of another priest in the same parish was imprisoned for grooming underage girls. His wife had allowed him to work with children in the parish, despite knowing his tendencies. Not long after, their son, in his early twenties, was also sent to prison for the same crime. If this programme tells us anything, it is that paedophiles live amongst us, in plain sight; they do not wear shabby raincoats and hang about outside playgrounds. They inveigle their way into people’s lives as trusted members, then abuse that trust. Jimmy Saville was the master of this “craft”. This drama is superbly acted, gives due respect to the victims of the monster Saville and certainly made me feel deep sadness for the terrible pain inflicted on them. Let’s hope that the bravery of the survivors who took part will inspire others and help them to avoid predators like Saville. And I hope their involvement will also help to bring them peace.