There are about 11,000 convicted paedophiles in this country, the majority of
whom have been offending for six years or more before they are convicted for
the first time. The recidivism rate is high, and each new high-profile case
brings calls for mandatory life sentences or open registers of paedophiles
so that everyone in a neighbourhood can find out where they live.
Should they all be locked up for life? Must we discount any expressions of
remorse – or should we accept that even a paedophile deserves a second
chance?
At the moment, even those who kill can sometimes be released. Ian Huntley, now
34, was told that he would have to serve 40 years before being eligible for
parole – which means that he could theoretically be released at the age of
68. The parents of his victims – Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the
10-year-old schoolgirls from Soham, Cambridgeshire – were understandably
horrified by this decision.
On the eve of the sixth anniversary of the killing of Holly and Jessica, a
former detective reveals what he has learnt in nearly two decades as an
undercover officer specialising in paedophiles. Ray Gardner (a pseudonym to
protect his identity), has also held international seminars about
paedophilia and set up a nationwide school for undercover officers.
In 1987, I was asked to infiltrate [the life of] an active paedophile,
who was a teacher at a well-known private school. I was the first undercover
officer to play the role of a paedophile – and the teacher was subsequently
charged. I found this operation the most disturbing role I had ever
undertaken.
At one stage, I had to sit with him in a hotel bedroom while he masturbated,
watching child pornography. Not only that, I had to show him that I was
enjoying the video as much as he was, by making sexual comments. While I was
watching the victims’ faces [on screen], all I could see was the faces of my
own two children when they were that age.
After one meeting with him, I was physically sick. I realised that if an
undercover officer were to try to infiltrate [the lives of] paedophiles, he
would need extra tuition before undertaking any such operation. I then
started a school for undercover officers who wished to enter this field. It
was five years before I had my first applicant.
During the time that I was infiltrating [the lives of] paedophiles, I read
many books on the subject but found that the people in the books were
completely different from the ones that I had met. I then realised that the
people in the books were speaking to police officers, prison officers,
barristers, social workers or authors and manipulating them to tell them
what they wanted to hear.
The social worker wanted to hear that after speaking to the paedophile, he
realised the error of his ways and showed genuine remorse. The same applied
to lawyers and police. In all of the books that I read, the paedophiles
showed remorse and wanted to be cured.
[In the course of my own work] I have heard some of them say: “Why can’t you
cut my testicles off?” The truth of the matter is that they know that no
authority would be allowed to commit an act of grievous bodily harm, even
with consent.
The paedophiles that I met were completely different [from those in the
books]. None of these showed any remorse; and, in fact, they did not believe
that they were committing any offence. They felt that they were sexually
educating their victims. None of them wanted to be cured.
I was instructed by them what to do if I were arrested. I would first deny
everything – after all, my accuser would be a child and might not be
believed. Second, if [the case] did go to court and there was overwhelming
evidence against me, then I should break down and admit my guilt and ask if
I could apologise personally to the victim for ruining his life.
They said that I should act suicidal and swear that the abuse would never
happen again. If I did this, I would have a better chance of getting a
lesser sentence because I would be showing that I was no longer a threat to
society. They did mention that I should state that I was abused as a child.
In fact, I found that most of the paedophiles I met had been abused as
children – but they did not say that they were abused. [Instead], they spoke
about their first sexual experience.
They came from educated, illiterate, affluent and poor backgrounds. Some were
married with children, the majority single. I found that whatever age when
they were first abused was the age group that they now preferred.
I was abused on three separate occasions by separate paedophiles when I was a
child. None of these was reported. I did not know how to report them, or
indeed what to report. They did no permanent damage to me and did not affect
my adolescent years. If you were to ask any man if he had been abused in
some form or another, I would be surprised if at least 50% did not admit
that they had suffered some nonreported abuse.
On average, every paedophile will abuse 200 different victims in his lifetime.
If you guestimate that 100 of these victims will go on to be abusers, that
will give you some idea of the extent of the problem.
I have not encountered any female paedophiles and it is obvious from records
that they are in a minority. In many cases where a father has abused his
daughters, I have found that they have not reported the matter until they
have children of their own and are fearful that their father will abuse
their child. That is the reason why many historic abuse cases are reported.
Clinics [that try to help paedophiles control their urges] are well
intentioned and try very hard to reduce the amount of abuse that their
clients perpetrate. I don’t wish to criticise anyone for trying to cure
paedophiles, but I must repeat that I have never found a paedophile who
wants to be cured.
And you cannot cure someone who does not want to be cured. The only way that
we can protect the public from these people is to isolate them from the
public.
I do not believe the legal system treats paedophile offences as seriously as
it should. The theft of a child’s innocence, in my opinion, is far more
serious than the theft of £2m from a train, and should be sentenced
accordingly.
Chemical or any other form of castration does not work. It only takes away
their ability to have sexual intercourse with their victims – it does not
stop their urges or their ability to abuse their victims with implements and
then kill them after they have satisfied their lust.
Paedophiles thrive on any attention from well-meaning groups. The fact that
people with no background knowledge of paedophilia could think that they
could possibly influence them is absurd. The paedophile would manipulate
these people to such an extent that they would use them in any subsequent
trial for their defence.
They are the greatest groomers of people that you will ever meet. They will
[try to] groom all social workers, police and lawyers. They will always try
to portray themselves as victims of society. They are highly manipulative
individuals who love to play mind games with you. All paedophiles will [try
to] to show they are either victims, undergoing therapy or in a state of
remorse.
The sad thing is that there are judges who believe what they hear. They
genuinely believe that they are giving them another chance to mend their
ways, rather than a golden opportunity to be released into the world to
offend again.
There are many people who state that a child giving evidence about an abuse is
tantamount to that child being abused again. It is even worse if the child’s
evidence is not believed and the paedophile walks free.
There are dangers lurking all around children – but if you labour the point,
you risk taking the child’s innocence away yourself. The fact of the matter
is that a seductive paedophile will always be able to groom his victims, but
for that he needs access. The best thing a parent can do is to be more
vigilant with the people who have access to his or her children. [But] if a
paedophile wants to take your child, you will not be able to stop him.
However, I really think that it would be counterproductive to make the
addresses of local paedophiles available to parents in an area. In practice,
it would result in all of the paedophiles being assaulted, or worse, and
then having to be rehoused in another area. At the same time, another
paedophile would move into the vacated area.
I know many cases where paedophiles have obtained occupations that give them
easier access to children, such as Scout leaders and teachers. In some
cases, they are vastly overqualified and can easily obtain employment for
more money, but prefer to have an occupation that gives them legitimate
access to children. As a custodian of children, they are less likely to be
suspected or accused.
Very seldom are there any pro-active investigations. If you look for
paedophiles, you will find them. If you do not look, then statistically you
will not find them and you will not have a paedophile problem in your area.
This is edited extract from Youthful Prey: Child Predators Who Kill, by
Carol Anne Davis, published by Pennant Books at £9.99. Copies can be ordered
for £9.49 including postage, from The Sunday Times BooksFirst on 0870 165
8585
